"I'm afraid that even if he is willing to fight the divine general that the queen likes, he may not be able to make your majesty feel at ease."
Zhang Liang stroked his long beard and said leisurely.
"Which is the lesser of two evils? During the Battle of Gaixia, Your Majesty was so troubled and entangled, didn't you finally figure it out?"
Lu Pheasant calculated that Liu Ji's obsession with frequently leading an army to conquer personally was about three feet deep, and it was not formed in a day.
Historical observers, including her, often have the misconception that Ying Zheng, the founding emperor of Qin, and Liu Ji, the great ancestor of Han, were two generations apart. Their thoughts and methods of governing the country were probably worlds apart.
But she was immersed in the situation in this life, and she deeply understood that the heroes of the late Qin and early Han Dynasties actually experienced the Warring States and the Qin Empire. The world they first came into contact with was the Warring States world of swords and swords.
The growth trajectory shapes their thinking patterns. The habits, experience and knowledge accumulated by this group of people in the past are not so much from the short-lived dynasty that lasted only fifteen years, but rather from the disputes between heroes in the late Warring States period.
Not to mention, Liu Ji, who had never rested for a day since he started the army in his prime. Speaking of which, Liu Ji himself was three years older than the First Emperor.
As a mere pavilion chief, he stood up with a three-foot sword, led a group of elders, and won the country in hundreds of battles. He defeated Qin first and then destroyed Chu. His achievements were brilliant.
And this proud record has two crucial unique features:
First of all, when fighting, we prefer large-scale decisive battles.
Just like the Battle of Gaixia, which determined the ownership of the world, the generals at this time strived to complete their achievements in one battle. Once defeated, the soldiers under their command dispersed, and various forces quickly differentiated, reorganized, and spiraled into destruction.
Secondly, the heroes basically do not seek coordinated operations. They stand out from all directions and advocate individual bravery. Leaders often go to war in person and do not rely on others.
The fighting habits developed in the heap of dead people later followed Liu Ji throughout his life. He was obsessed with chariots and conquests in person, also because of his suspicion and with the help of his personal might and virtue, he used the name of the emperor to attack those enemies who caused rebellion.
"For Prince Fang, he knows himself and the enemy, so he just has to conquer it himself.
He even rushed to conquer the Xiongnu personally, which was really a big mistake. "
Lu Pheasant thought that no matter what method was used, the emperor must get rid of his love for personal expeditions, so as not to miss her important event.
Moreover, if we continue to use the method of overwhelming soldiers to fight against the agile and fierce grassland peoples, it will be the same as trying to find a sword by carving a boat or trying to find a fish by using a tree.
Moreover, with the current national strength, it cannot support a large army. It can only be elite cavalry. The better, the better.
***
"Well, as for the 'general' part, how to convince His Majesty, this is all a matter for later, so let's ignore it for now.
We still have three weaknesses: horses, bows, and swords. "
She found the topic of conversation.
The Huns had a custom similar to that of the Turks hundreds of years later. When they conquered the east and west, they relied on nothing more than good bows and fast horses.
And how could the Tang Empire, whose cavalry and archery skills were far inferior to those of the Turks, be able to stop the prairie people's cavalry from heading south?
In addition to military formations, the Tang army's chances of victory depended on advanced weapons. Only the Mo Dao and the Tang Crossbow were used to kill the Turks to the point of being frightened and leaving no trace of armor behind.
This Mo Dao has a long history. According to legend, it evolved from the horse-killing sword of the Han Dynasty. So, at this time, the prototype of the horse-cutting sword should be found in a craftsman's workshop somewhere in the Central Plains, right?
As for the crossbow, the same is true.
The Tang crossbow was inherited from the Han crossbow. She vaguely remembered that Li Ling, the grandson of Li Guang, a famous general in the Han Dynasty, was promoted to captain because of his superb riding and archery skills. He taught riding and archery in Jiuquan, Zhangye and other border areas. Moreover, among Li Ling's troops, Use repeating crossbow.
However, it is not yet time to propose large-scale manufacturing of horse-killing swords and repeating crossbows. Moreover, these suggestions cannot be made directly by a queen who is not familiar with martial arts, right?
"And horses," she muttered.
It's still Tian Ji's principle of horse racing. If I am the best horse, the enemy's horse is the best——
The Tang army's swords and crossbows could defeat the Turks, but their riding and shooting skills, no matter how hard they practiced, were still half as good as their opponents.
Fortunately, the Tang army's horses were on par with the enemy's horses.
Because the horses used by the Tang army at that time were originally good horses from the Western Regions.
***
Zhang Liang didn't know her complicated memories. When he heard the word "horse", he continued to say with emotion,
“Horses are the foundation of armor and soldiers and are of great use to the country.
When there is peace, there is an order of distinction between superiority and inferiority; when there is change, it helps those who are near and far.
Everyone said that Xiang Yu's cavalry was invincible, but despite all the efforts of the Overlord of Western Chu, he was still far from able to gather ten thousand elite cavalry.
The reason is actually that there are not so many good horses to be found. "
"I see that most of the war horses ridden by military officers are retrained civilian horses used to pull carts in the countryside.
It's enough to fight against the Chu army, but against the Xiongnu, I'm afraid it won't run slower than their oxen. "
Lu Pheasant came back to her senses and said helplessly that she realized that the Taifu also had the same worries.
"Did the queen even notice this?
This horse is an animal with pride and memory. Once it gets used to pulling a cart, it will only be able to jog steadily in its life and will never be able to gallop again. "
Zhang Liang sighed, the meaning behind his words was obvious.
Their opponents, the Huns, had the fastest horses in the world. They ran as fast as the wind and maneuvered like ghosts. No matter who rode on them, they were as powerful as a tiger.
"No matter how reckless the Huns are, as long as they still have a shred of sense, they will never sell their good horses to us."
"So, Taifu is planning to come out?"
Zhang Liang was silent for a long time, but suddenly asked a strange question,
"Queen, do you know what the origin of Qin's Ying surname is?"
"I don't know, I hope you can enlighten me."
"According to legend, the ancestor of the surname Ying was Feizi. He was good at horses and livestock, good at raising horses, and good at riding horses. Because he had done great work in raising horses for Zhou, King Xiao of Zhou gave him the surname Ying, so that he could rest on horses for generations to come."
"After learning, it turns out that the ancestors of Qin have been herding horses for the Zhou Dynasty. No wonder Qin's horse administration is also particularly developed."
Since Shang Yang's reform, the Qin Dynasty has focused on farming and warfare, so it has paid special attention to the management and breeding of horses, and specially formulated the "Stable Garden Order" to incorporate horse administration into the court's management system in the form of national laws.
After unifying the six kingdoms, Qin built a large number of stables all over the country. The so-called stables were horse farms exclusively operated by the state.
These stables include the palace stables located in Xianyang, Guanzhong, and many pastoral gardens far away in border counties.
"Qin's stables in Guanzhong, after several years of war, are probably empty, but that's fine.
I just don’t know how the many stables located in border counties are doing?
How many horses are left, how many stablemen and servants are left? "
Zhang Liang was slightly startled, then sighed,
“The queen’s intelligence is truly rare in the world.
Qinzhibian County stables are mainly located in Tianshui, Longxi, Anding, Beidi and other counties. The locations are excellent, and they are all pastures with rich water and grass and unique natural resources.
If you want to raise war horses that can rival the Huns, these border pastoral parks are the key. "
When raising horses, you have to start from scratch, starting with the mare.
From the moment the foal is born, let it gallop in the grassland and mountains, so that it can become familiar with the grass and rivers, the wind and snow, and the future battlefield.
"I'm going to go to Longxi to find out the family background of our army and horses."
Lu Pheasant raised his eyebrows.
"I thought Taifu was devoted to cultivating immortality. If you want to go, when are you going to set off?"
"Come on, come on. When the marriage between the eldest princess and King Zhao is completed, I will leave immediately after having this glass of wedding wine."
