Chapter 135: The Emperor's Art of Governance?

In the game, reputation is paramount, but impressive military achievements can also earn the respect of NPCs. While in Jibei, Chen Hao fully utilized the mobility of his cavalry to wipe out over a thousand men. Most of those killed were players who had joined the Boxers, though they were officially recorded as Boxer insurgents in the battle reports.

Because this was merely a routine mission issued by Nie Shicheng, the impact was confined to the Wuwei Front Army, and Chen Hao’s reputation did not increase. However, much like a resume in reality, a shining entry allows those who know of it to hold one in higher regard. Yang Du had always thought highly of himself; Chen Hao knew he could not surpass him in scholarly attainment, so he boasted about his own military feats. Combined with the corroboration from Li Pisen’s letter, the effect was quite good.

After Wang Kaiyun recounted Chen Hao’s strategic layout in the Northeast to counter the Russians, a sharp light appeared in Yang Du’s eyes. He nodded and said, "The Russians occupy our territory with a guilty conscience. Fearing that some day a crisis might arise, they will surely expel the Chinese from the Sixty-Four Villages East of the Heilongjiang River and Hailanpao. It is highly probable they will use slaughter to force the Chinese to leave. You have a very accurate grasp of human nature."

Chen Hao felt a pang of shame. As a player, he knew the Russians would commit a massacre; it was not because he had a profound understanding of human nature. Yet, even though the Russians had shown no such signs yet, Yang Du agreed with his assessment. He was truly worthy of being a successor to the art of imperial strategy. Chen Hao bowed to Yang Du and said, "If the Russians slaughter our countrymen, our defenseless overseas compatriots will have no choice but to await their fate. I hope you will assist me, sir."

Yang Du smiled noncommittally. "The Russians are proficient in firearms, which even our imperial army cannot withstand. The horse bandits are but a rabble; leading them to block the Russian army is no different from a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

Chen Hao replied calmly, "Many things offer a chance only if one acts; if one does nothing, there is no chance at all. This concerns the safety of millions of my countrymen. Even if I know it is impossible, I must try my best. If you are afraid of death, Brother Yang, just pretend I never said anything."

Yang Du shook his head. "Do not try to provoke me. You have no official status, and going to the Northeast like this is walking a tightrope. Even if you lead the horse bandits to a lucky victory, if you cannot manage your relations with the government, you will have committed a fault rather than an achievement."

Yang Du’s words were very reasonable. This was the exact reason Chen Hao had come to seek his help. If he led horse bandits against the Russians and handled his government connections well, he would be a national hero. If he handled them poorly, he would be nothing more than a meddlesome busybody, and he might even end up on the Qing court's blacklist.

Chen Hao said earnestly, "If you can bring those bandit leaders to heel, sir, I am more than eighty percent certain we can defeat the Russian army. As for the imperial court, I believe they will soon be at war with the Western powers as well. At that point, with a little maneuvering, we can become national heroes."

Yang Du shook his head again. "I admire your great ambitions, Brother Chen, but while you have had glorious victories, I am skeptical that you can defeat the Russian army. Ten thousand horse bandits cannot achieve this. If you can show me a hope of success, I will accompany you to the Northeast."

Chen Hao laughed. "Your analysis is entirely correct, Brother Yang, but as an indigenous inhabitant, you do not know much about 'Outlanders' (players). In this resistance against the Russians, besides the ten thousand horse bandits, I have also contacted a million Outlanders. With a million of them coordinating with the horse bandits, I think we have a chance to defeat the Russians, don't you?"

"Is this true?" Yang Du was suddenly interested.

Chen Hao nodded firmly. "I would not dare to deceive you. I have a good reputation among the Outlanders; when the Russians move south, a million of them will certainly resist."

Of course, Chen Hao had not contacted any players for this mission. He was so certain only because of his memories. In his memory, although most Chinese players were searching for mission opportunities near Beijing to resist the Allied Forces, there were also over a million players who, outraged by the massacres, chose to resist the Russians in the Northeast. They failed only because the power gap between players and NPCs in the early stages was too vast.

Receiving a positive answer, Yang Du laughed heartily. "What a Chen Baxian! To abandon your wealth for the safety of the nation, and to be able to make such meticulous plans—I will accompany you to the Northeast."

Having secured Yang Du, Chen Hao breathed a sigh of relief. Like Wu Peifu, Yang Du was only cooperating with him temporarily. In his memories, Yang Du’s 'Craftiness' stat at his peak reached 96. NPCs of the 'Craftiness' archetype were the hardest to recruit. With Chen Hao’s own stat of only 20, it was impossible to recruit him through standard means; only by learning the "Imperial Art of Strategy" would there be a chance.

Seeing that Chen Hao had persuaded Yang Du, Wang Kaiyun looked at him and said, "Baxian, your teacher says you have great ambitions and are not one to live under others. He recommended you study under me for a time. However, since you have already set your plans for the Northeast, I fear you have no time for peaceful study. Let us speak of it later."

Chen Hao had brought Yang Du to Xiangnan, but that was only one of his goals; the most important was to learn the Imperial Art of Strategy. There were many players outside watching like tigers waiting for their prey. If he waited until he was done in the Northeast, Wang Kaiyun might have already passed the art to someone else. By then, if he knelt to Wang Kaiyun as a master, he would only be able to study poetry and literature to increase his culture stat.

Chen Hao said urgently, "Headmaster Wang, I have already finished my arrangements for the Northeast. I have long admired you, and my purpose in coming to Xiangnan is precisely to study under you for a period."

Wang Kaiyun pondered for a moment. "Very well. If you wish to learn, I will teach you with all my heart. However, you are pressed for time and I cannot pass everything on to you. What aspect do you wish to learn?"

"I wish to learn the Imperial Art," Chen Hao replied without hesitation.

Wang Kaiyun mused for a moment. "The Imperial Art is divided into 'Imperial Philosophy' and 'Imperial Strategy.' I have already passed Imperial Philosophy to Xizi. Do you wish to learn Imperial Philosophy or Imperial Strategy?"

This was the first time Chen Hao had heard this distinction. He had assumed that after learning from Wang Kaiyun, he would gain the A-rank skill "Imperial Strategy" just like Yang Du, but Wang Kaiyun said Yang Du had learned Imperial Philosophy. Confused, he asked, "May I ask, Master, what is the difference between Imperial Philosophy and Imperial Strategy?"

"Imperial Philosophy is the art of assistance. Learning this allows one to serve as a teacher to an emperor, helping a monarch achieve great things while also knowing how to preserve oneself. Imperial Strategy is the art of governance and command. Once mastered, a superior can make subordinates bow and obey, possess great personal charisma, and be better at attracting talent."

"If you intend to assist another in achieving great things, learn Imperial Philosophy. If you intend to become a lord yourself, learn Imperial Strategy. You must decide for yourself."

Hearing Wang Kaiyun’s explanation, Chen Hao finally understood. The "Imperial Strategy" he had seen on the forums in his memory was actually the second type. He did not know why 'Xuanyuan Jian' had deliberately confused Yang Du’s A-rank skill, but no one had ever known there was an A-rank support skill called Imperial Philosophy.

Chen Hao intended to be the boss himself, so this choice was easy. He chose Imperial Strategy without hesitation. Wang Kaiyun looked at him and said, "You truly have great ambitions. I do not care that you are unwilling to serve others, but if you engage in treachery and rebellion, then I shall have nothing to do with you."

Chen Hao quickly defended himself: "Your student has read many books and naturally knows the meaning of loyalty and patriotism. I would never become a traitor or an insurgent."

Chen Hao believed in constitutional monarchy, so he would never rebel. He could guarantee that. Even if the Qing court were overthrown, if he were to follow the path of Yuan Shikai and restore the monarchy, it would not be treason; after all, if the emperor were gone, one could not be loyal even if one wanted to!

Wang Kaiyun nodded. "You had best remember what you said today. The Imperial Art of Strategy is different from ordinary learning; if there is no talent, nothing I teach will be of use. There is a band of six or seven hundred insurgents entrenched in the Fenghuang area of Western Hunan. If you can use your wits to destroy this band, only then will you be qualified to learn the Imperial Art of Strategy."

Six or seven hundred bandits? Chen Hao’s brain stalled. He secretly despised Xuanyuan Jian for his forum posts. In his memory, after Xuanyuan Jian learned the Imperial Art of Strategy, he had posted the entire process on the forums, becoming a hit thread with over a hundred million clicks. Now, the mission he received was completely different from Xuanyuan Jian’s guide, and he realized he had been duped.

The mission to learn an A-rank skill was unique, so Chen Hao ruled out the possibility of the NPC giving different tasks. He realized that the seemingly generous and broad-minded Xuanyuan Jian was actually a petty man who would even fake a mission guide.

He had been confident in coming to Xiangnan to see Wang Kaiyun because he remembered Xuanyuan Jian’s guide. Now that he knew the guide was a counterfeit product, he would have to rely on himself to complete the mission.

There were six or seven hundred bandits in Western Hunan, and Wang Kaiyun wanted Chen Hao to use his brains to wipe them all out. The difficulty was not standard. Even if Chen Hao had an army of hundreds, leading them to wipe out the bandits would be useless, because Wang Kaiyun was testing his talent for learning the Imperial Art of Strategy, not his military might.

As Chen Hao walked out of the Xiangqi Pavilion, Liu Bang quickly approached and said, "Brother Baxian, you stayed inside for a long time. You must have gained a great deal, right?"

Chen Hao smiled confidently. "Indeed, I have gained much. Because of my teacher's recommendation, I have become a student of Headmaster Wang and can study the Imperial Art of Strategy with him. I believe that as long as I spend time completing some study tasks, this A-rank skill will be mine."

"Congratulations, Brother Baxian! Haha! The Imperial Art of Strategy is a unique A-rank skill. Since you have become Headmaster Wang’s student, I will not waste your time here, but you must treat me to a drink before I go."

"No problem!"

Chen Hao had not yet completed the entrance task, and learning the skill was still a long way off. He had boasted that it was basically in his pocket just to make the players around the Xiangqi Pavilion leave. He now knew that being a disciple of Wang Kaiyun didn't just offer the Imperial Art of Strategy, but also the A-rank skill "Imperial Philosophy," which other players were unaware of.

Each A-rank skill could only be learned by one player. If the surrounding players confirmed that Chen Hao had already learned the Imperial Art of Strategy, they would leave. In that case, Chen Hao could not only learn the Imperial Art of Strategy, but also allow his close friends to study under Wang Kaiyun, and with luck, perhaps even learn Imperial Philosophy as well.

The surrounding players, hearing that Chen Hao had begun learning the Imperial Art of Strategy, looked as if their parents had just died. Soon, someone posted this information on the forums. There were many players who wanted to learn the A-rank skill, and they were all influential figures; every day, players discussed the progress at the Xiangqi Pavilion.

When the news that Chen Hao had become Wang Kaiyun’s student and had started learning the Imperial Art of Strategy appeared on the forums, it immediately caused a huge sensation, and players rushed to reply with their opinions.