Chapter 59: Watch Me Perform

After Liu Qingfeng summoned Ji Wu, it was barely half a month before another triumphant battle report reached his hands.

When he finished reading the entire report, even the esteemed Liu Sanyuan could not hide his astonishment. “That boy… I really can’t decide whether to call him reckless beyond measure or simply bold because his skills justify his courage.”

He reckoned that the first report sent to the court had not even reached its destination, and already news of a second major victory had arrived. By all reason, this should not have happened so swiftly.

After all, commanding several hundred volunteer soldiers might sound impressive, but in reality, it was far from it. These volunteers had never undergone formal court training; if not outright unruly, they at least lacked any clear sense of hierarchy or discipline. Let alone obeying a sudden new commander—they might not even listen to orders from the court!

Liu Sanyuan’s previous strategy had been to scatter these volunteers about, using them as scouts and informants, expecting them only to hold their own against small bands of rebels. As for engaging the enemy in formal combat? That was utterly out of the question. They were a hot potato the court could barely control, and entrusting them to Ji Wu was simply a matter of convenience.

Did anyone really believe that a fancy title like “Commander of the Volunteer Army” would make them obey? Who was he, after all? Was he paying their salaries or distributing their stipends?

Allowing Ji Wu to command a few hundred volunteers, Liu Sanyuan had, in truth, intended to test the young man’s mettle. In his view, if Ji Wu could win their trust in half a month, making them at least reliably follow orders if not strictly disciplined, then he would be deemed a talent worth cultivating, not just a reckless youth.

Yet Ji Wu did the opposite. He paid no heed to the subtle intricacies of command, relying purely on force of arms to overcome obstacles.

He wasted no time pondering how to unite a band of hundreds with divided loyalties, nor did he concern himself with forging them into a single force. His approach was simple: “Anyone who wants to earn merit, follow me!”

Of the several hundred, only a few dozen followed him into the mountains.

By the standard of Liu Sanyuan’s covert assessment, this was a failing grade indeed. Bravery without leadership—such men were of little use to the court.

And yet...

Staring at the battle report before him, Liu Sanyuan fell deep into thought.

“Congratulations, Master Liu! All of this is thanks to your wisdom!” said the subordinate who had brought the report, eager to flatter.

“Oh?” Liu Qingfeng glanced at the man. “And what credit do I deserve?”

“To begin with, Master Liu, you recognized a hero at a glance. But if you look at this battle report, the rebel strongholds Ji Wu attacked were filled with the old, the weak, and the infirm—some could hardly walk, and their defenses were nearly nonexistent, as if they were abandoned by their own. Doesn't this prove that your strategy of vigilance and containment has worked? I believe it won’t be long before the rebel leader’s ranks break from within. Their defeat will come without the need for force.”

That subordinate was indeed quick-witted, continuing without hesitation, “I have always heard that the best generals win without glory. And the highest art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Now it seems, Master Liu, that your learning is vast, your name as ‘Sanyuan’ is renowned throughout the Kingdom of Qi, and your military strategy is nothing short of masterful! You have spared the court’s soldiers, conserved the people’s strength and resources, governed with a thunderous hand but a compassionate heart. Others see only the young hero’s feats, but I see the fruits of your painstaking efforts!”

“You are quite the talker,” Liu Qingfeng scolded with a stern look, but a delighted smile played on his lips.

In truth, the subordinate was not wrong.

Last year, Xishan County had suffered widespread disaster, giving the rebel leader his chance to rise. Had the court rashly sent troops into the mountains, seeking a quick victory, they would have been bogged down and worn out in the endless wilderness. The cost in manpower and resources would have been unbearable, worsening the situation everywhere.

It was precisely Liu Qingfeng’s seemingly unhurried, slow-burning strategy that struck at the rebel leader’s true weakness. The court needn’t chase the rebels—the rebels could not but come to them. Did anyone truly believe that a great force could thrive in the deep mountains? Living on wild fruit and roots, gnawing on bark—two days of that, and they’d be spent.

The rebels’ strength lay in the mountains, but that was also their fatal flaw. Still, this strategy required time to bear fruit.

From late spring to autumn, he had weathered pressure from the court without depleting the people’s strength, and casualties had been minimal. Now, the pressure was on the rebels.

The beast had bared its fangs—either the prey threw itself at death, or it starved and devoured itself.

This dead end had been paved for the rebel leader; the past months had only served to seal his coffin, and the final difference was who would drive in the last nail.

“Since they have begun to cut off their own tail to survive, the rebel leader cannot hold out much longer. Let Ji Wu continue to act freely. I will write to commend him, and the court will dispatch an elite force into the mountains.”

Liu Qingfeng quickly made up his mind. Ji Wu would continue as before, while Liu Qingfeng would advocate for him to the court. Until Ji Wu’s merits were officially recognized, he would remain a civilian commander of volunteers.

Moreover, with the rebel leader’s defeat becoming clear, the court’s regular forces could now be deployed without fear of a costly stalemate.

In theory and in practice, Liu Sanyuan’s calculations were not in error.

The only thing that left him helpless was that, in the days that followed, when the court’s troops entered the mountains, they encountered little real fighting. Unfortunately, there was little to show for it, either. Minimal losses were a relief, but no merit could be claimed—what had they even come for?

In contrast, the volunteer force under Ji Wu’s leadership was growing; after he returned with that group of captives, many who had previously been reluctant now claimed it had all been a misunderstanding, that delays had kept them, and that they had never truly refused his command.

Yet, this time, though they offered to join, Ji Wu was not willing to accept them all. Except for those who had followed him from the start, he carefully selected a force of fewer than two hundred, and once again plunged into the mountains.

Unlike the court’s troops, who blundered through the forests, wary of ambushes at every turn, Ji Wu’s methods were wild and daring. He would often lead the charge himself with Bear Tyrant at his side.

Fewer men meant greater risk, but also greater stealth and agility. While the court’s forces had yet to finish searching two mountain ridges, Ji Wu had already crossed four or five, pulling far ahead.

With Bear Tyrant’s astonishing animal instincts and keen senses, Ji Wu’s volunteers were often able to locate rebel strongholds, achieving remarkable victories again and again.

By autumn, the number of captives taken by Ji Wu’s hand numbered in the thousands. In comparison, the court’s troops, deep in the mountains, had little to show—barely a few hundred prisoners, less than Ji Wu’s first reported success.

The name Ji Wu began to spread across Xishan County, the title of “young hero” echoing everywhere.

And when Ji Wu once again returned from the mountains, escorting hundreds of captives, a court official, who had long been waiting, seized his hand.

“Master Ji, Master Liu requests an audience with you at once! There is an urgent matter to discuss!”