Chapter 147: Practical Task in Statecraft

The game time quickly advanced to May 1900. Chen Hao had been studying under Wang Kaiyun for ten days, during which Wang imparted various strategies of statecraft and political maneuvering to him every day. Wang Kaiyun possessed a high-level educational special trait that provided bonus effects during lectures, allowing Chen Hao to improve rapidly. After ten days, not only did he master the statecraft trait, but his statecraft attribute also increased by 3 points.

Art of Imperial Rule: A high-level special trait. Subordinates whose statecraft attribute is lower than the user's will never betray them, and it increases the recruitment success rate of NPCs by 50%.

The description of the Art of Imperial Rule was brief, yet it was a top-tier statecraft trait that Chen Hao could put to use immediately. Although his statecraft stood at only 27 points, there were not many NPCs with high statecraft aside from seasoned bureaucratic veterans. For instance, high-martial-arts NPCs like Lin Hei'er and Cui Yanniang did not possess high statecraft attributes; once subdued, there was no need to worry about their betrayal.

After acquiring the Art of Imperial Rule, Chen Hao did not leave, instead seizing the time to continue studying under Wang Kaiyun. Two days later, a system announcement suddenly echoed across the China region: "On May 24, 1900, the foreign ministers presented a note to the Qing court demanding the stationing of troops within the legation quarters."

The rapid expansion of the Yihetuan caused great panic among the Western powers, prompting them to successively demand that the Qing government take measures to annihilate the uprising. Empress Dowager Cixi repeatedly issued imperial edicts banning the movement and organized military forces to suppress it, yet for various reasons, it proved difficult to extinguish for the time being.

On May 19, Catholic Archbishop Mavier sent a letter to the French minister, urgently requesting naval forces to enter the capital for defense. On May 24, the foreign powers delivered a note to the Qing court demanding troop deployment; the Qing court initially refused, but was later forced to agree. After the foreign legation guards entered the capital, a faction of diplomats led by the German minister Ketteler blindly resorted to military force to resolve issues, further intensifying the contradictions.

The stationing of troops in the capital by the foreign powers made the Qing court feel threatened. Discovering that the Yihetuan had consistently resisted foreign troops, the Qing court's attitude toward the movement underwent a shift. On June 6, Cixi dispatched Gangyi to "persuade and disperse" the Yihetuan, which was actually an investigation of the situation. Gangyi's assessment concluded that "the boxers can be relied upon," leading Cixi to resolve to utilize the Yihetuan against the foreigners.

With the game time reaching May 24, it signified that the major storyline of the Eight-Nation Alliance invasion was about to unfold, and Chen Hao did not want to miss this plot quest. Having left a deep impression on Nie Shicheng—the protagonist of the Langfang Victory—his chances of heading to Northern Hebei to obtain an important mission were exceptionally high.

On June 10, the Yihetuan besieged the legation quarters, severing telecommunication links between the legation area and the outside world. On June 11, Russia, Britain, the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, and Austria cobbled together a vanguard force of 2,066 officers and men, led by British Vice Admiral Seymour, departing from Tianjin by train for the capital to defend the legation quarters.

In Langfang, the allied vanguard met with a head-on blow delivered by the Qing army led by Nie Shicheng and the Yihetuan. Seymour, a naval commander unskilled in land warfare, found the allied forces at a disadvantage as soon as the engagement began, forcing them to retreat to Tianjin and await reinforcements. Historically, this battle was known as the "Langfang Victory," but in truth, the actual gains achieved were minimal because Empress Dowager Cixi's self-confidence swelled to an extreme degree, prompting her to declare war simultaneously against the eight nations in the name of the Guangxu Emperor.

A massive gathering of Chinese players had already amassed in the capital, and quite a few foreign players had also accepted the allied forces quests, making Northern Hebei the liveliest location. In the Eight-Nation Alliance invasion storyline, foreign players could have a maximum of 40,000 participants join the allied forces, while Chinese players, whose weaponry and equipment lagged behind those of the foreign players, were permitted up to 80,000 participants in the task of resisting the allied forces.

Since the vanguard force led by Seymour numbered 2,066 personnel, the proportion allocated to foreign players was 2,000, leaving 40 characters for Chinese players to participate in the Langfang operations. Currently, the players gathered in the capital were either searching for opportunities to participate in the Battle of Langfang or had accepted quests to mingle with the Yihetuan NPCs, preparing to take part in the siege of the foreign embassies.

With nearly twenty days remaining until the Battle of Langfang, Chen Hao deliberated for a moment and decided not to head to the capital just yet. Although his memory held numerous minor quests he could undertake, the rewards gained could not compare in importance to statecraft attribute points. Continuing to study under Wang Kaiyun for another dozen days would yield several more points in statecraft, whereas acquiring weapons, equipment, or money from those minor quests held little significance for him—enhancing his statecraft attribute was far more crucial.

Having left a profound impression on Nie Shicheng, Chen Hao could simply seek Nie out directly when the Battle of Langfang commenced to participate in the quest, sparing him the need to hunt for quest opportunities in Northern Hebei. Having made up his mind, he sought out Wang Kaiyun and stated, "Having received the teacher's guidance recently, I feel I have benefited immensely, and I hope to continue my studies under your tutelage."

Wang Kaiyun said with a solemn expression, "The art of statecraft that I have taught you is merely talking on paper. If you wish to continue learning, you must first master how to apply it. You should put the statecraft I taught you into practice before proceeding with further theoretical studies!"

"Player Chen Baxian, the NPC Wang Kaiyun has issued the learning quest 'Statecraft Practice.' Quest completion condition: Successfully apply the art of statecraft taught by Wang Kaiyun under appropriate conditions. Do you choose to accept?"

Players would trigger learning quests at intervals after taking on a master, and only upon completing these quests could they continue receiving guidance from their teacher. The scope of the quest issued by Wang Kaiyun was extremely broad; as long as one successfully applied the art of statecraft during interpersonal interactions, it would suffice. Yet precisely because of this, Chen Hao found himself in a dilemma. With merely a dozen days remaining until the Battle of Langfang, where was he supposed to find an appropriate opportunity to wield the art of statecraft within a day or two?

The art of statecraft was fundamentally about scheming and maneuvering against one's peers. Dealing with any random person might result in Wang Kaiyun refusing to acknowledge the quest's completion, so he undoubtedly had to apply it against someone with a conflict of interest against him for it to be counted as a success. At this thought, the figure of Xuanyuan Jian flashed across Chen Hao's mind. During this trip to southern Hunan, Xuanyuan Jian had consistently worked against him, and eliminating Xuanyuan Jian was the outcome he desired most.

After Chen Hao completed the bandit-eradication quest, Xuanyuan Jian had not departed; instead, he had grown exceedingly cozy with County Magistrate Shi Hong, though his underlying motives remained unclear. Wang Kaiyun had offered him pointers when the bandit-eradication quest was completed, and since he was now required to practice the art of statecraft, it would be fitting to apply it directly to Xuanyuan Jian and Shi Hong.

Accompanied by Thief San, Chen Hao rushed back to Yongshun County. In an inn, he penned a letter and instructed Thief San to lurk outside the county yamen. After Sansheng Shi finished his visit with Shi Hong and stepped out of the yamen, Thief San slipped into the courtyard and tossed the letter inside. A yamen runner picked up the missive and promptly delivered it to County Magistrate Shi Hong, whose expression grew gloomy upon opening and reading it.

"Prefectural Lord, the rebellious bandit Zheng Laosan of Poison Dragon Mountain plundered countless gold and silver treasures, burying them in a concealed location. Qianhu Deng Wentong has extracted the confession. The outlander Xuanyuan Jian is also aware of this situation, and has remained in Yongshun solely to ferret out the burial site of the treasures. This humble commoner cannot bear to see Your Honor deceived, and thus comes to inform you."

Shi Hong had originally harbored suspicions when Deng Wentong reported no seizures of loot whatsoever after annihilating Zheng Laosan, but having no evidence, he had been forced to let the matter rest. Reading this letter solidified Shi Hong's initial judgment, leading him to believe that Deng Wentong indeed knew the whereabouts of the wealth.

The letter mentioned both Deng Wentong and Xuanyuan Jian. Since Shi Hong deduced that the part regarding Deng Wentong was true, he naturally believed the latter portion as well. Chen Hao made full use of human inertia; once Shi Hong began to suspect Xuanyuan Jian, the efforts Xuanyuan Jian had expended during this period would be severely undermined.

Though Chen Hao did not know what Xuanyuan Jian hoped to accomplish by lingering long-term in Yongshun, any opportunity to cause trouble for him was welcome, given the animosity between them.

Shi Hong promptly burned the letter and instructed the nearby yamen runner, "Quickly prepare a carriage for me; I am going to the garrison camp to see Commander Deng."

Chen Hao was currently inside the garrison camp. Because the battle at Poison Dragon Mountain had successfully eradicated the bandits, the imperial court was dispatching officials to record achievements, prompting Chen Hao to present Deng Wentong with another hundred silver dollars. As the two were conversing merrily, a soldier rushed in to report that the county magistrate had come to visit. Puzzled, Deng Wentong remarked, "Brother Baxian, how on earth did you manage to offend Shi Hong? Why is it that the moment you step foot into the garrison, he follows right behind you?"

Chen Hao shook his head with a bitter smile and replied, "I have no idea how I offended him either. Fearing that I might cause you difficulties, I was extremely cautious when coming to the garrison camp. Magistrate Shi shouldn't even know I am here; perhaps it is merely a coincidence! Let me take my leave for a moment."

Shortly after Chen Hao withdrew out of sight, Deng Wentong strode out to greet the visitor, inquiring, "I wonder what brings Magistrate Shi here today?"

With a smile that failed to reach his eyes, Shi Hong replied, "Let's go inside before we talk."

Deng Wentong led Shi Hong into the military camp, and after the two took their respective seats as host and guest, Shi Hong said indifferently, "Commander Deng, the rebel Zheng Laosan plundered numerous prominent households and seized countless wealth. How much illicit loot did your forces capture during this bandit suppression?"

Deng Wentong asked in astonishment, "I already informed Magistrate Shi on that day that the wealth looted by the bandits was concealed by their chieftain, Zheng Laosan. Since Zheng Laosan is already dead, this subordinate dug three feet into the earth yet failed to unearth the valuables. Why does Your Honor pose this question?"

Shi Hong stated coldly, "I fear that Commander Deng's excuses are not enough to convince even a three-year-old child, are they? You commanded the entire suppression operation against Poison Dragon Mountain—did you truly obtain no clues whatsoever?"

Deng Wentong's expression chilled as he retorted, "One thousand five hundred garrison soldiers can bear witness. I searched for a long time without finding any wealth; why must Magistrate Shi resort to harsh and cutting words?"

Shi Hong's expression softened considerably as he coaxed gently, "Commander Deng, the gold and silver plundered by Zheng Laosan are by no means a trivial amount. Why insist on keeping the spoils all to yourself?"

Deng Wentong's face flushed crimson, and he shouted loudly, "Every word this subordinate has spoken is the absolute truth! If Your Honor refuses to believe me, there is nothing more I can do."

Casting a cold glance at Deng Wentong, Shi Hong flicked his sleeves and stormed off. Deng Wentong was boiling with rage, furiously kicking over a desk with a single blow. It would have been one thing had he actually acquired Zheng Laosan's wealth, but having gained nothing while drawing suspicion upon himself, he could not help but feel utterly depressed.

Emerging from the inner chamber, Chen Hao watched as Deng Wentong bitterly cursed, "Shi Hong is truly going too far, actually coming to my doorstep to demand treasure. I couldn't find Zheng Laosan's wealth despite searching for ages—where am I supposed to conjure it up for him now?"

Pondering for a moment, Chen Hao observed, "Commander Deng, you annihilated the rebels more than ten days ago, yet Shi Hong chooses precisely today to arrive. Don't you find this suspicious, my lord?"

Deng Wentong asked suspiciously, "You mean to say..."

A calm smile played across Chen Hao's lips as he answered, "Magistrate Shi's arrival today must stem from hearing certain gossip; someone must have whispered slanders to smear your reputation, my lord!"

*Thud*

Deng Wentong brought his palm down heavily upon the desk, declaring, "If I find out which petty scoundrel is responsible, I will certainly spare him no mercy."

Shaking his head, Chen Hao replied, "This matter is easily resolved! You need only dispatch men to inquire which individuals have been associating closely with the Prefectural Lord lately, and especially who paid him a visit today. Naturally, you will discover who brought these malicious words to his ears."