Chapter 132: Wang Kaiyun of Southern Hunan

PS: (Thanks to Tianxia Diwu, Ai0Dao, nstyu, A Nuomei, and Guniang Huanggua Diaole for their precious monthly votes. Special thanks to Guniang Huanggua Diaole for the 10,000-dollar contribution—though, Xiaobai, that is a rather vulgar username you have there.)

With Wu Peifu secured, Chen Hao breathed a sigh of relief. The command of the tens of thousands of horse bandits in the Northeast would no longer be an issue. Wu Peifu had not yet attended the military academy, so his Command attribute was likely below 90, but his innate special abilities would ensure he could tame the unruly bandits.

Every historical general with a growth potential of over 90 in Command possessed three military special abilities: one Grade A and two Grade B. Therefore, even if a player’s Command attribute reached 90, they would never compare to an NPC general unless they were lucky enough to obtain a Grade A Command ability.

The Command abilities of each NPC general were a primary focus for players. Having missed the opportunity to recruit his "senior fellow apprentice" Wu Peifu earlier, Chen Hao had been paying close attention to his stats. Before entering the military academy, Wu Peifu possessed two Grade B abilities: "Boost Morale" and "Iron-Fisted Discipline." The Grade A ability "Infantry-Artillery Coordination" could only be acquired after graduating from the military academy.

The motley crew Chen Hao was recruiting in the Northeast would not have artillery, so "Infantry-Artillery Coordination" would be useless even if he had it. However, "Boost Morale" and "Iron-Fisted Discipline" were incredibly useful for commanding horse bandits. "Boost Morale" could be used once a day to revitalize troops who had lost their combat effectiveness due to falling morale, increasing their combat power by 10% above the normal level.

"Iron-Fisted Discipline" allowed a force to be integrated into an organized army within ten days, bolstering their fighting spirit and increasing combat power by 5%. If a military commander with this ability trained troops for over six months, the combat power increase would become permanent.

Horse bandits would lose heart at the slightest setback; that was when "Boost Morale" would shine. "Iron-Fisted Discipline" was even more important for the Northeast campaign, as it could turn a rabble into a disciplined force within a week. A cavalry division formed from ten thousand horse bandits would be more than enough to give the Russian Cossacks a run for their money.

Wu Peifu was not the most powerful modern general, but he was the most suitable commander for horse bandits. After inquiring about his stats, Chen Hao felt reassured. His Command attribute was not yet 91, but his Tactical Execution was 92, Strategic Analysis was 78, and his overall Command value stood at 85.

With a Command value of 85, serving as the head of a division-level unit would provide a 15% bonus to combat power. Combined with his two Grade B abilities, the effectiveness of the horse bandits was guaranteed. As for the deputy division commander and chief of staff, Chen Hao intended to take the role of deputy division commander himself, as his "Galloping Steed" ability provided a 5% speed boost to cavalry units of ten thousand.

To make the cavalry unit formed by the horse bandits truly effective, Chen Hao still needed a chief of staff with augmentation abilities and, ideally, some mid-to-low-level officers. The game had only been running for a short time; finding Wu Peifu to serve as the military commander was already a stroke of luck. Officers serving as battalion or regiment commanders needed a Command attribute of at least 50, and even if they were found, they would struggle to keep the horse bandits in check without suitable special abilities.

Fighting against the better-equipped and better-trained Russian army required guerrilla tactics, but without mid-to-low-level officers, such a strategy was impossible. If the troops were scattered, who knew where the bandits might run off to?

The gathered bandits were far inferior to the Russians in equipment and military training, and they were cavalry to boot. Positional warfare was out of the question. Chen Hao could only pin his hopes on Wu Peifu’s command, praying that this famous general would not let him down.

"Brothers working in unison can cut through metal; you two should work together to achieve great things."

Li Peisen was all smiles after Wu Peifu agreed to go to the Northeast. Pacing back and forth, he said thoughtfully, "You two are skilled in military command, but you still need to gain experience in the ways of the world. In the Northeast, you will have to deal with those people from the underworld. I worry that you might stumble!"

Chen Hao said with a bitter smile, "Teacher is right. Aside from wanting to find a general to command the troops, I also wanted to find someone well-versed in the arts of power and intrigue to help deal with those bandit leaders."

Li Peisen thought for a moment, then ordered his servant to bring out brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone. "I am an old acquaintance of Wang Kaiyun from Xiangnan. He is well-versed in the studies of emperors and kings, and many of his students are adept at political maneuvering. I shall write a letter. You go to Xiangnan and find Wang Kaiyun; perhaps he will give me some face and assist you."

Chen Hao was overjoyed. He had been determined to acquire the top-tier "Imperial Statecraft" ability, and he would have gone to Xiangnan even without Li Peisen’s recommendation. Without the connection, he would have had to complete a massive amount of tasks just to get close to Wang Kaiyun, and becoming his student would have been even harder. With the recommendation letter, even if he couldn’t become a student immediately, having Wang Kaiyun send an NPC to help was entirely possible.

Wang Kaiyun was a great Confucian scholar, literary figure, and historian of the late Qing Dynasty who had once served as an advisor to Zeng Guofan. In his youth, he had harbored ambitions of statecraft and hoped to participate in governing the world, but he met with repeated setbacks and was unable to realize his aspirations, eventually turning to teaching. In 1906, the Governor of Xiangnan, Cen Chunxuan, memorialized the throne regarding his virtues, and the Qing court finally granted him the title of Compiler in the Hanlin Academy.

Wang Kaiyun had made significant achievements in classics, literature, and history, and he was highly accomplished as an educator. His famous students included Yang Du, Xia Shoutian, Liao Ping, Liu Guangdi, Qi Baishi, Zhang Huang, and Yang Zhuang. Among them, Liu Guangdi and Yang Rui were two of the "Six Gentlemen of the Hundred Days' Reform" who had already died during that movement.

In the game "War," the only NPC possessing the top-tier "Imperial Statecraft" ability was Yang Du, who had inherited it from Wang Kaiyun. Wang Kaiyun also possessed a Grade A political ability, but it was primarily focused on education. Thus, if a player were looking for a strategist, Yang Du was a much better choice than Wang Kaiyun.

Wang Kaiyun was already in his twilight years, but he was one of the NPCs players valued most; many had guessed that they needed to find him to learn "Imperial Statecraft." Each top-tier ability could only be learned by one player. Naturally, "boss" players who wanted such a powerful political ability were eager to obtain it, so Wang Kaiyun’s doorstep was always crowded with influential players.

Players gossiped on the forums daily about who had completed which task at Wang Kaiyun’s residence and debated who would be able to learn "Imperial Statecraft." One boss even claimed he would stay at Wang Kaiyun’s estate for two years if necessary just to learn the skill.

Because of his memories from the future, Chen Hao knew that to become a student of Wang Kaiyun, one needed a Culture attribute of at least 50, which was why he had avoided Xiangnan until now. Now that his Culture attribute met the requirements and he had Li Peisen’s recommendation letter, his chances of learning "Imperial Statecraft" were much higher.

If he couldn't learn it in the short term, and if Wang Kaiyun was willing to do Li Peisen a favor, Chen Hao had a great opportunity to poach one of Wang Kaiyun’s students. His target was Yang Du, the NPC who possessed the "Imperial Statecraft" ability. Once in the Northeast, with Wu Peifu commanding the army and Yang Du acting as the cunning strategist, if they still couldn't defeat the Russians, it would truly be the will of the heavens.

Although Wu Peifu had agreed to go to the Northeast, he was not yet Chen Hao’s subordinate; he was merely cooperating as a senior fellow apprentice. High-level NPCs with ideals and ambitions would never pledge their loyalty unless a player’s reputation and political skill reached a certain level and they possessed a base with good prospects for development.

However, having these NPCs serve under him temporarily was not without benefits. If the cooperation went well, it would undoubtedly increase their affinity. Once he established a base or obtained an official position, he could appoint these high-level NPCs to significant roles, at which point they would be much more likely to pledge their loyalty.

Chen Hao felt that his past self in his memories had been a fool to give up learning from Li Peisen. Having a great scholar like Li Peisen as a mentor meant his connections in the game were vastly expanded. He wouldn't sell the letter of recommendation in his hand for tens of thousands of dollars—could the value of "Imperial Statecraft" really be measured in money?

Taking the letter from Li Peisen, Chen Hao carefully tucked it into his pouch and said with gratitude, "Thank you, Teacher."

Li Peisen took Chen Hao and Wu Peifu’s hands and joined them, sighing, "With the country in such dire straits, I know you cannot settle your hearts to focus on your studies. I hope you will become pillars of the nation. Promise me that no matter what happens, you will take care of yourselves. I do not wish for any harm to come to you."

Even though it was just a game, Chen Hao felt a warmth in his heart. The NPCs were highly intelligent, but he had always treated them as mere data. He had become Li Peisen’s student solely to get close to Wu Peifu, but hearing the sincere concern, he felt as if he were facing a real elder.

Wu Peifu also had tears in his eyes. He came from a merchant family, and after his father passed away, his family fell into poverty. Li Peisen had never looked down on him for his background. He had always held Li Peisen in the highest regard, so when Li Peisen had been angry earlier, it had felt like a bolt from the blue; he had decided then that if his teacher insisted, he would brave even the most dangerous path in the Northeast.

Li Peisen ordered his servants to prepare a feast to see Chen Hao off. During the meal, Wu Peifu suddenly said, "Junior brother, since you have already arranged for your friends to go to the Northeast to subdue the horse bandits, and I have nothing to do since I am not taking the military academy exams this year, I will go to the Northeast first to train the bandits. We will have a better chance when the Russians push south. What do you think?"

Chen Hao was overjoyed. "Thank you, Senior brother! After the meal, let’s go buy the train tickets together. Once you arrive in Fengtian, I will have my friends pick you up."

After the meal, Chen Hao left his horse, the "Tixue Wuzhui," at Li Peisen’s home, then traveled to the Qinan Railway Station with Wu Peifu. Wu Peifu bought a ticket to Fengtian, while Chen Hao bought one for Xiangnan. After boarding the train, Chen Hao set his character to sleep and logged into the forum’s virtual reception room.

Since he couldn't go to the Northeast in person, Chen Hao met with his team at a fixed time every day. When he entered the virtual room, the other members were already there. "Baifuhu Yaonie" said excitedly, "Boss, we’ve had a great start! We bribed 'Zuoshandiao' with two C96 pistols..."

Before he could finish, Chen Hao waved his hand to interrupt. His character was sleeping on the train and lacked security, so he couldn't stay offline for too long. He smiled and said, "As long as you succeeded, that’s great. I’m on a train right now, so I’m just here to inform you of something before I head back into the game."

"What’s the rush?" Baifuhu Yaonie asked in surprise.

"My senior fellow apprentice, Wu Peifu, will arrive at Fengtian Station around 4:00 PM game time tomorrow. Go pick him up and bring the Jade Lion along. Make a good impression—our mission in the Northeast depends on his command."

"Who did you say we’re picking up?"

"Wu Peifu, the one who later becomes a Beiyang warlord. I’ve asked him to go to the Northeast to train the horse bandits you’ve bought off."

"Boss, you are truly incredible! You’ve actually managed to secure Wu Peifu. My admiration for you is like..." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)