Si Mang hoped to take advantage of the Wei army's victory to replenish the missing crossbows and arrows among the rear army's soldiers. However, Lord Xinling considered that priority should be given to replenishing the battle losses of the front army, because although there were crossbows and arrows hidden in the city, due to the small number of soldiers in the city, the crossbows were not available. No more than a thousand arrows, no more than a hundred thousand arrows, only enough to equip a thousand men. What Lord Xinling didn't say was that soldiers always have their own weapons, and as soldiers, you cherish your weapons as you cherish your life; if the weapons are lost, they can be spent from public funds, and the country has no financial resources to maintain them.
Si Mang felt helpless when he saw Lord Xinling kicking the ball to him: He had already made a suggestion to replenish crossbow arrows to the new soldiers in the rear army, but you didn't agree! Why do you still want me to be "cooked"? If you want to supply the front army, you must make a decision quickly; the war is in full swing, and the last thing you should do is hide crossbow arrows in the arsenal.
Continuously, carts from each battalion drove into the city, carrying the grain needed for the next day. Zhang He and the others became busy again, checking the festival symbols and carriages, watching them loading grain into the carriage, fearing that someone might accidentally load an extra basket. There are also two carriages in the city. Lord Xinling, Simang and Sikong take one together and go to the right camp first. Before leaving, he greeted Lieutenant Daliang. When Lieutenant Daliang learned that the battle went smoothly on the first day, he kept praising "the king's kindness", but declined the suggestion to go to Youying together.
Lord Xinling arrived at Youying first before the carriage from Youying came back. The lookout had already seen him and informed him to go in. Mr. Liang Wei came out of the camp early to welcome him. Lord Xinling did not bring any retainers, and only had ten soldiers as guards. Lord Xinling said: "We won the first battle, so we specially prepared food and fodder to share with all the gentlemen."
When Young Master Liang saw that two carts had brought fifty baskets of millet in total, he ordered: "Each group will bring one basket, and they will be full tonight."
Although the grain trucks of the right camp have not returned, the camp does not wait for the rice to be cooked. Instead, the trucks are emptied every night, the fire is made, and the trucks are used to transport the next day's grain. Now the fireworks in the two camps are raging, and the soldiers are grinding and threshing millet with stones. Suddenly, the sound of drums was heard, and an order came immediately: "General and soldiers, each group carries one basket of millet!" The leader of each group led two people to move the millet, but only one cart was empty.
Mr. Liang Wei had the remaining cart of millet moved to the back of the tent, where there were still several baskets of millet. Mr. Liang Wei said: "If you are not a minister, you dare to steal the public grain, but you are actually preparing for the unexpected needs."
Lord Xinling said: "Young Master's words are true. However, Young Master is under the city, but if you need everything, you can get it all in the city, so why worry about it!" Young Master Liang Wei did not argue, but simply said: "The book says: 'Only Everything must be prepared, and if you are prepared, there will be no trouble. 'I am willing to do what you say." Young Master Liang Wei placed all the soldiers who followed Lord Xinling in front of the tent, together with his retainers, guards, and military envoys We are a group. He and Sikong accompanied Mr. Xinling to comfort him one by one. Lord Xinling was respectful and polite, and turned around one by one. The soldiers did not know what to do and stood in panic, listening to the captain and Lord Xinling exchange some incomprehensible words. Before leaving, the team leader scooped out a small bowl of corn soup and gave it to Lord Xinling and others, and the three of them drank it.
More than twenty groups from two battalions paid tribute to each other one by one. It took about an hour and it was already dark. Lord Xinling and Si Mang had enough to eat, quietly found a ground to urinate, and then returned to the city together, and then headed to Zuoying. Each of the ten soldiers ate a bowl of millet. Although there was no salt and plums, they were not completely full, but they also gave them a cushion and gained strength. Back in the city, the baggage truck heading to Zuoying was ready, and Zuoying's own baggage truck had already been loaded with food for the next day and returned to the camp. Zhang He had already sent a message to Si Sheng, and Si Sheng personally led ten soldiers to the city to greet him. Lord Xinling then asked the soldiers in the middle camp to return to the camp. He, Si Mang and Si Sheng rode together, leading ten soldiers and two carriages to the left camp.
Compared with the right camp, the left camp seemed much quieter, which surprised Lord Xinling. He couldn't figure out why the same troops looked different in the hands of different people. Three people entered the camp in a car, and Si Sheng ordered the drums to be beaten. All the soldiers stood up solemnly to the sound of drums and lined up beside the fire. Si Sheng shouted: "General, please work!" The bells and drums rang loudly, and the soldiers stamped their feet on the ground and made a "tap" sound in response to the commander's orders.
Si Sheng said in response to Lord Xinling: "Please, general!" He and Si Mang stood behind Lord Xinling on the left and right. Lord Xinling marched forward in the direction instructed by Si Sheng, followed by the two battalions of commanders. It was two chariots and ten soldiers. Every time he passed a group, Si Sheng would shout loudly: "General, you have to work hard for one stone of grain!" The soldiers behind him unloaded a basket of millet from the cart and put it down. Lord Xinling put his hands in front of his chest, saluted and said some words of condolences; the soldiers, led by the captain, shouted loudly: "Ho! Ho! Ho!" and then fell silent.
It took Lord Xinling an hour to walk the two camps from beginning to end. He didn't even get a morsel of water or a morsel of food. All the more than a thousand soldiers stood silently the whole time, letting the water in the cans roll up and down with the corn. . This scene left Lord Xinling dumbfounded and surprised. He wondered how a demoralized army could be so well-disciplined in just two days!
At the end of the tour, Si Sheng brought Lord Xinling to the big tent, ordered someone to bring a bowl of millet porridge, and served it with both hands. Lord Xinling returned the gift with crossed arms and took it with both hands. Xinlingjun was hungry and thirsty after not eating water or rice all day. Although the millet porridge was boiling hot, he still put it directly to his mouth and sipped it. There was no salt, no plum, and only a few leaves of unknown origin. , but Lord Xinling felt it was very sweet. He said to Si Mang and Si Sheng, "I would like to eat with you two Qings!" The three of them each brought a bowl of millet porridge and came to the tent to sit down. The soldiers gathered around the fire and stayed away from them.
Lord Xinling said: "In just a few days, your troops are so neatly organized, it's admirable!"
Si Sheng said: "But if you have its form but not its spirit, it will still be useless in wartime!"
Lord Xinling didn't know what he meant and looked at Si Mang, hoping to hear his opinion.
Si Mang said: "Si Sheng has been practicing for two days, but if there is any delay, he will be punished, and if there is no difference, he will be rewarded. Victory also means that the soldiers are the first to stand in the wind and the sun, and they do not stop even day after day. That's why we have what we have today." merit."
Lord Xinling said: "I dare to ask Sheng Qing, what are the rewards and punishments?"
Si Sheng said: "If you are good, you will be promoted to the army; if you are bad, you will lift stones and measure your faults to match the number."
When Lord Xinling heard this, he couldn't help but be stunned: "In the past, people in the army were not punished for lifting stones, so using this as a reward and punishment is almost like a joke."
Si Mang said: "Extraordinary to the law, nothing but Si Sheng can do. No matter how many people he has promoted, they are all worthy of their duties."
Lord Xinling said: "Would it be better to stand for the whole day without any exertion? Will there be any obstacles in the formation in the future?"
Si Sheng said: "But if you work hard, your physical strength will increase day by day, and your Majesty will have no worries."
Lord Xinling asked: "Who did you get this method from?"
Si Sheng said: "This is Sun Tzu's secret."
Lord Xinling was overjoyed and said: "Sheng Qing has been passed down by his grandson! How lucky is Wei!"
Si Sheng smiled bitterly and said: "How can I be so virtuous as to be able to inherit my grandson's ideas? But I can't help but spit on my thoughts."
Lord Xinling was a little disappointed, but still asked without giving up: "Who is the sage?"
Si Sheng said: "My mother is a daughter of Wu. Her father inherited the sect of Mengchang and lived in Wei for a long time, so she was married to Yan. When I was young, I occasionally heard the discussions of my ancestors and learned a word or two. Others can't match it. I only know that his studies are based on Sun Tzu's ideas. When I was young, I laughed when I heard Sun Tzu's name, so I aspired to it."
Lord Xinling was shocked and said: "I will return to Mengchang's gate. It's my fault for missing talented people. I would like to tell you by name, and I will go and plead guilty!"
Si Sheng said: "My ancestor passed away twenty years ago and had little reputation. How could you know that?"
Lord Xinling said: "I would like to hear his name and his life stories."
Si Sheng said: "I was young when I was young and didn't understand everything. Gai heard from his mother that his name was Su, and he lived outside Yimen by making wine."
Lord Xinling said: "How did Mengchang know this?"
Si Shengdao: "In the beginning, I was a trader between Wu and Qi, so I got to know him. Later, I was ordered by Meng Chang to drink wine in Daliang, a person who was ignorant of the world. My family was poor, so I got a lot of help from him, so I gave him a wife. I married him by marriage. Therefore, we know that he inherited Mengchang."
Lord Xinling said: "Since Father Wu has given his wife to the family, there must be someone to look after. Where is your father now?"
Si Sheng said sadly: "In the battle of Qi State, he died outside Linzi City. Because of his meritorious service, he was able to enter the camp with his weak crown."
Lord Xinling said: "Your Majesty must be a very human being. Who is he?"
Si Sheng said: "My father died young, before he could run the company."
Lord Xinling said with emotion: "It's a pity that a talented person will lose his life!"
Si Sheng said: "My father died, and my mother died of grief and tears. I entered the camp to save my remaining life. I occasionally recalled one or two words from my fathers and ancestors, and they often acted out, and every time they had miraculous effects. I know that my grandson will not deceive me." "
Lord Xinling said, "I would like to hear a little bit about it."
Si Sheng said: "In the past, the King of Wu wanted to test his grandson and practiced it with one hundred and eighty beauties in the palace. The grandson gave three orders and five orders, and killed his two favorite concubines. The woman knelt down on her left, right, front, and back, and no one dared to do it. If you make a sound, you will be in order, even if you are exposed to water and fire, you will still be able to do so. This is why this minister can organize the troops so quickly."
Lord Xinling said: "It's so good, it's the way of Qing. If Wei's generals lead as well as Qing, how can Qin be so strong that it can't be defeated?"
Si Mang said: "Sikong is the first soldier, Si Sheng is the leader of the army, and he is famous in the army."
Si Sheng said: "Si Mang is the reincarnation of Wu Zi. There is a unique beauty in arranging troops and formations. He organizes the army and manages the soldiers, rewards and punishments are appropriate. All the soldiers love and fear him, and are willing to die for him!"
Lord Xinling said: "I am ignorant and don't know heroes. Please forgive me! Now I can see a hero. I am so lucky. I hope you will teach me a lesson sooner or later and don't abandon him because he is not talented!"
The two said: "How dare I!"
While the three of them were talking, a soldier suddenly came to report, "There is an envoy coming from the city!" The three of them stood up and headed outside the camp, only to see a military envoy standing outside the camp gate. Lord Xinling said: "What to say?"
The military envoy said: "The doctor sent an envoy to ask the general to return to the city to discuss matters!"
The three of them were shocked. Lord Xinling said: "I am in a hurry and am unable to hear high-level opinions. I hope the day will come."
Si Sheng said: "The military situation is urgent, I would like to send you to your Majesty!"
It was put aside, and a leather cart under special care was brought over. Lord Xinling and Si Mang got into the car and signaled the military envoy to come up as well. The military envoy hurriedly waved his hand and said: "I can't bear the carriage and dare not ride! I would like to follow you on foot." The two of them did not force themselves and said goodbye to Si Sheng. Si Mang drove out and accelerated to a fast pace in just a few steps. Come to Huayang City Gate.
