Yatou Mountain.
The broad drying area was surrounded by soldiers.
In the middle, Liu Chengzong stood with his helmet on his head and his armor on his head, leaning on a spear eight feet tall. He raised his hand to hold his helmet on his head and frowned at the sun in the sky.
It has clearly entered autumn, but the midday sun is still strong and poisonous. It can evaporate the distant mountains into shadows, making people breathless.
He turned his wrist and put down the five-meter-long spear. He held the barrel of the gun with his front hand and the thick tail of the gun with his back hand at his waist. He stamped his foot, which made a loud bang on the hard ground, and said, "Again!"
Opposite him was an infantryman on the right sentry who was a former soldier. He could not use a big gun. He held a seven-foot tassel and nodded: "General, I'm offended!"
clang!
Cao Yao, who was sitting on the ground on the sidelines, leaned against the musket on his shoulder, raised his hand and tapped the clay jar with an iron spoon.
The two men advanced slowly, and the two shots intersected.
The soldier suddenly waved his spear to block the spear, and tried to break in, but he was not strong enough and could not smash the spear away.
Liu Chengzong stepped back half a step, pushed forward with his back hand and stepped forward at the same time. The tip of the gun lightly touched the breastplate on the chest of Pu Sibing.
Cao Yao said: "Du Liangcai, an infantryman on the left, has an eighth-level military distinction!"
The first time the Mule Battalion was awarded military honors, the procedure was not rigorous.
As long as the infantry can use ordinary weapons such as spears, boring handles, hooks, sickles, spears, and waist knives to fight Liu Chengzong back and forth, attacking and defending for five rounds, and fighting twice in a row, they will be awarded the fifth level of military honors.
However, the chance of being unable to touch each other after five rounds of attack and defense is very small, and the winner can basically be determined.
If you win, you will be ranked fourth, if you lose, you will be ranked sixth.
Right now, two soldiers with fourth-level military honors were standing behind him.
After the fight, Liu Chengzong took off his helmet and handed it to one of them. While removing the armor, he said: "It's too hot. You brothers will fight ten games each for me. After the fight, we will rest."
Put this aside elsewhere. On a hot day, wearing heavy armor for one game or two or ten games can make a person exhausted.
But in Yatou Mountain today, it is quite common.
People's weapon skills vary from high to low, but the days of eating are still short, and the body has not returned to normal levels, so most battles are very simple.
Liu Chengzong took off his armor and sat with Cao Yao: "Can you get some water?"
Cao Yao was happy: "There is water, but the drinking water is unclean and it is easy to get plague. Our water is not clean. The general's body is precious, so he cannot drink it."
This old thief doesn't speak well.
Liu Chengzong frowned and said, "What do you mean?"
"It's not interesting. There is military law. Of the seven wells at the foot of the mountain, only two deep wells can bring water. There is no one in the village. I asked old man Qian and he didn't dig a well this spring."
As he said that, Cao Yao winked and said, "The water we pumped up is full of dirty water and needs to be burned. The coal we brought from Yanshuiguan has run out. I've sent people to collect firewood. It's estimated that we won't have water to drink until the evening."
Liu Chengzong understood that Cao Yao was disgusting with him.
Sure enough, the old thief shook his head and made a "tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk" sound: "The military law has been passed down. Brothers are very obedient and cannot bully the people. Naturally, they cannot loot other people's houses and pick up firewood if they don't have it."
Cao Yao had a rogue look on his face and said with a smile: "Well, Wei Qian'er doesn't think it's nothing. He has never led an army. I asked him to lead people to collect firewood. General, just take care of it. There are obviously two yards." , but he has to collect firewood in the bright sun to see if his horse team has any resentment."
"Captain Cao, this is not good."
Gao Xian, who was sitting on the side, said: "It's not good for us if the cavalry team has grievances."
"Why is it bad? You, Gao Lao San, have other ideas? Someone has to do this. Don't let him go. Okay, you can go collect firewood on the right guard, or you can persuade the person on the left to find out the news and let him go." Go to the sentry, but my soldiers at the artillery sentry won’t go anyway.”
Gao Xian raised his hand: "You..."
Cao Yao saw that it was almost done, stood up, threw the spoon towards Gao Xian, and sneered: "Hey, you just stand and talk without hurting your back. If I ask you to go, you won't go. I am here to give advice to the camp general, no." It’s your Gao Laosan’s business, so don’t talk anymore.”
He motioned Liu Chengzong to come aside, and the two of them chose an unoccupied courtyard and walked in. They sat down against the wall, and then he said: "I'm not showing off my seniority. I listen to you on important matters and I haven't let my brothers suffer. I also know what I am capable of. It’s okay to be a mountain king, but I can’t do big things. I think you can do big things, so you can tell me where to go, but I just listen to my brother’s advice.”
Cao Yao whispered to Liu Chengzong: "In the forty-seventh year of Wanli, my brother was in charge of the troops. Leading troops is not just about fighting. Military law is to restrain soldiers for their own use and cannot rigidly follow the regulations. You can compare your feelings with others. You can tear down a house and burn it down. How can the sergeant be convinced when we go to the water and have people collect firewood under the sun?"
Very reasonable.
Liu Chengzong nodded slowly. He felt uncomfortable when this happened to him.
Seeing him nodding, Cao Yao was very happy and said with emotion: "Your family is really interesting. You are upright and upright, and your brother is resolute and courageous. They are all rigid and refuse to listen to advice. It's great that you can listen. Your brother is so He is good at everything, but he doesn't know how to adapt. He is obviously a captain and believes in the requirements in the military book more than the general. I am not surprised at all that he taught you to make these decisions."
"I'm different from your brother. When I lead the troops, the leader is just a mother. I feel comfortable serving the troops in peacetime, but the soldiers can make me comfortable in wartime. Even if I lose the battle, they will remember to protect me and run away, because there is no one else in the world." People can do what I do to them.”
For a moment, Liu Chengzong felt a little complicated.
When someone points out one's mistakes to one's face, even if one avoids others and does not rebel, it is already a very rare quality for human beings.
Not to mention gladly accepting it.
It is easier to make people feel more comfortable than to accept it happily. The ministers and officials dare to face the fault of others, and they will be sent to the army for seven years with a hundred disciples.
But Liu Chengzong was more happy.
He seemed to see a new door glowing and slowly opening towards him.
The last time he felt like this, it was the serious Liu Chengzu who taught him the skills of marching and garrisoning.
"In this way, it is true that I was impatient in using the military law of the border army. I just didn't want the sergeants to develop the habit of plundering and invade all directions, but I didn't think carefully about such things."
Liu Chengzong first admitted his mistake, and then said: "But I can't admit it, and I can't change it now."
Cao Yao also nodded, raised his finger and pointed at his temple, saying: "I can't admit it, and I have no other intention. I'm just telling you to think twice before you act in the future... But if you don't change it now, what are you going to do?"
Liu Chengzong sat on the ground leaning against the earth wall and thought about this matter carefully.
After a moment, he turned around and said to Cao Yao in a very confident tone: "Brother Cao, you have set a trap for me."
They would encounter such a problem, but it was Cao Yao's decision to assign Wei Qian'er's cavalry to collect firewood, not Liu Chengzong.
He estimated that before Wei Qian'er led the cavalry to monitor the river beach, Cao Yao said something about the lack of firewood. He didn't know what language he used to motivate the general, so Wei Qian'er went to do it.
The impact of this incident should not be that bad, and the sergeant's resentment may not rise to dissatisfaction with Liu Chengzong himself.
It's likely that it will end when they are dissatisfied with team leader Wei Qian'er.
"right."
Cao Yao admitted it openly, waved his hand and said, "But you can't blame me, I'm thinking about the team wholeheartedly! If you find that your general has a bookish attitude, as a subordinate, how can you not dissuade him?"
The old thief shook his head and sang in the last sentence: "A few words, if you Liu family can't listen, you will shed tears in front of the coffin."
"Don't let me clean up the shit you pooped out."
Seeing his admission, Liu Chengzong felt very relaxed and said with a smile: "Tell me, you must have a way to solve this problem, otherwise I will blame you even if I solve it, and the solution is not clever. If you hide the firewood, then But that’s too stupid.”
"Hey, let's see what you said I've become."
Cao Yao was also very relaxed: "It's true that there is no firewood, and there are still two meals left to cook. The water can be easily solved, but I still want to hear what the general can do first."
Cao Yao said, think twice before you act.
Liu Chengzong really started to think twice.
This incident is not a big one, but it is likely to have a profound impact on the team due to the solution he chose.
With Cao Yao, Liu Chengzong could admit his mistakes and correct them.
This is person to person, Cao Yao is a good big brother, what he says is right, and if you should listen, then you must listen.
But the mistake he admitted was his lack of experience, he had never encountered such a thing, and he did not think carefully before conveying the law to the whole camp.
Rather than strictly enforcing military law, it is wrong in itself.
If he went out and had his house burned down or even changed the law, not only would the soldiers who went to collect firewood not be grateful to him, but the soldiers at other posts would think that the general's determination to enforce military law was nothing more than that.
It makes this very simple thing complicated.
Liu Chengzong spread his hands and said: "I still use the old method my brother taught me. I take the lead. I will herd horses and collect firewood with them. When everyone is familiar with yesterday's military law, next time I change the camp, find an uninhabited village, and organize a house. .”
Cao Yao was amused by his solution: "Bad things turned you into good things. I didn't mean to cause trouble for you. I can solve the problem with water. You know, your sister-in-law comes from a wealthy family in Beizhili. Her family builds wells." When doing so, put tiles and charcoal at the bottom of the well so that the water that comes up will be clean."
"When I was weeding in the north, she made a kind of filter bucket for me. She drilled holes in the bottom of the wooden bucket, put hay, bamboo charcoal, and stones on the bottom of the bucket, and put a stick in it. The water was filtered and drank, and I never got sick. I think you can wait until people are in a hurry to collect firewood and take out the filter bucket, which can also win over the hearts of the newly surrendered border troops."
Liu Chengzong felt that this was very familiar. It was basically the same as the method of handling raw water in the wild in another memory of his.
Basically the same, which means reliable.
However, he felt that what Cao Yao said was not what he meant. Taking out this thing would have little significance in winning over the morale of the newly surrendered border troops. The greater significance was probably that Cao Yao did not want to steal his own limelight.
He didn't click through and said with a smile: "So you're waiting for me here. It's good. Then do what I do first. Take out the filter bucket before boiling the water. You still need to boil the water. There is a shortage of firewood. The thing is to remind us that we should find a big family to rob the rich and give to the poor."
"Wait until Rongzi comes back to inquire about the information, but have you found out..." Cao Yao said seriously: "There is a problem with the composition of our battalion."
"What's the problem?"
Cao Yao looked puzzled: "There are such a large battalion of more than five hundred people, but the leader is often needed to charge into battle on the battlefield. There are more than five hundred people in the whole battalion, but I am the only one who can give you advice. There is a huge shortage of talented people."
"It can't do anything about it. It's good that it can fight. For today's competition, the two brothers Zhong Hu and Zhong Bao were selected. Their martial arts skills are no worse than mine."
Zhong Hu and Zhong Bao were the two fourth-level soldiers in today's competition. They were checking the sergeants on the field instead of Liu Chengzong.
The two are brothers. They have been in the Guards Army for generations. They were soldiers in the Jingbian Camp in the past. They are good at horseback, spear, waist and knife skills, and both have good martial arts skills.
Liu Chengzong said: "The people who can be recruited by us are not of high origin. As long as there is a way out, no one is willing to be a thief. If they don't look like thieves, they can be kidnapped. Unless they are like guerrillas." , I really want to take it with me, otherwise I would not force others to become thieves."
If it comes to other problems, Liu Chengzong probably has a solution, but talents have no solution at all.
I wanted to kidnap Lu Guerrilla earlier, but it was still unclear whether he could escape from the thief. But who knew that General Lu had dodged dozens of cannonballs and was stabbed to death by a small piece of wood?
As for the others, they surrendered to the border troops in the First Battle of Yanshuiguan and were willing to work with them. They were all soldiers and none of them had official positions.
With this kind of background, we can only recruit some people with martial arts skills, and not many people who are literate.
The few newly-reigned border soldiers who were promoted to captains had no other advantages than their literacy and ability to write down other people's names, and they became captains.
There are not many literate people, and even fewer are knowledgeable. There are indeed many such people in this world who are forced to rebel, but compared with the ordinary people who are forced to rebel, the number is still very few.
This matter can only be done after they return to Yan'an Mansion and meet up with their father and brother, together with Yang Dingrui and Song Shouzhen, so that they can be considered a think tank to discuss ideas.
Cao Yao said casually and laughed at himself: "Old Cao, I will force myself to be a dog-headed military advisor for you first... Do you think it is appropriate for us to do a big job in Shanxi now?"
"What do you mean by doing something big?"
Cao Yao raised his hand and rubbed it on the ground a few times, rubbing his hands and said: "I asked old man Qian about the general geography of this area. I don't know the details. I only know that this is Xizhou, which belongs to Pingyang Prefecture. To the north of Xizhou is Fenzhou. Xiaoyi County of the prefecture, and the county further north is called Fenyang County, which is the administrative seat of Fenzhou Prefecture."
Liu Chengzong shook his head and said: "It's Fucheng again. There are guards in Fucheng, and it's a big one in Shanxi. It's easy for the two provinces to join forces to suppress us. Then we won't have a day to rest, and we will be on the run all day long."
"I just said this, do you think it's too big? This doesn't look like your courage. There are bigger ones."
Cao Yao pointed to the route he drew on the ground and said with an excited smile on his face: "This Fenzhou City is where the palace of Prince Qingcheng of Jin Dynasty is located. I used to be a soldier in Xuanfu and I have heard of Prince Qingcheng. The first generation of King Qingcheng gave birth to a hundred children, and they all grew up. Their palace was built like an imperial city, so you are not tempted? I wanted to rob them seven or eight years ago."
"Can't grab it..."
Liu Chengzong still shook his head. Just when Cao Yao was gradually disappointed, he said: "But since we are all here, we have to explore first. Qingcheng's route to the palace and his farmland. We can't take the palace now, but we can in the future. And rob Wangzhuang."
He patted his chest: "Aren't we brothers still good at it?"
