Xiao Letian's feelings towards this Japanese godson are very complicated. As a new young man who has experienced anti-Japanese education in later generations, it would be an absolute lie to say that he has no grudges against the Japanese in his heart. After all, that small island country has been there time and time again. defeated mainland civilization.
But hatred of Japan cannot be brought into this era! Xiao Letian reminded himself many times that this was the mid-19th century, the era before the Meiji Restoration. At this time, Japanese nationalism had not yet risen, and ordinary Japanese had a very weak concept of the country.
This is a group of people who are loyal to their master and don't know what the country is. Nohira Tai and Hyoutaro are typical examples. Xiao Letian gives them enough respect and the opportunity to be promoted. What they get in return is their own lives.
Now the adopted son knelt on the ground and said a bunch of weird things, which immediately woke up the sensitive Xiao Letian. Could it be that during this period, they had lost a little care for these foreign legions and they had emotions in their hearts?
"Nohira Tai, you and Hyoutaro are both my adopted sons. If you have anything to say, you can say it openly without any worries. In the previous battle at Besançon, you fought very well. You are a reliable sharp blade for me. , don’t be timid, speak your heart boldly..."
Noheita was kneeling on the ground, feeling extremely conflicted, as evidenced by the trembling undulations of his back. After hesitating for more than ten minutes, Noheita finally gritted his teeth and spoke out what was in his heart.
"Father, please forgive me for being rude! Hyoutarou and I have no unnecessary thoughts, but please carefully consider the hearts of other samurai..."
Nohira poured out some of the emotions within the Foreign Legion during this period like beans from a bamboo tube. If you don't tell them, you won't know. Xiao Letian was shocked when he said it. He really ignored the emotional appeals of these Japanese people.
Xiao Letian's Foreign Legion is now just a prototype. It is basically composed of Japanese ronin, with a small number of Koreans and Nanyang natives.
Japanese Ronin and Wild Samurai are absolutely brave. They have an almost religious fanaticism in the face of life and death. They really risk their lives for victory. Hand-to-hand combat is a common dish for them.
However, in the thousands of years of history of Japanese Bushido, some problems have also developed, such as a strong desire for rewards based on merit.
In the spirit of Bushido, it is honorable to die for the master, but the master must give adequate rewards immediately. During the Warring States Period in Japan, after every battle, each daimyo had to immediately reward their subordinates based on their merits. Whether it was the first meritorious service, the number of heads, the distance of the forced march... all the merits were very clear and detailed.
To put it bluntly, the records of military achievements during the Warring States Period in Japan are more like the experience bars in later computer games. How much will be increased after a mission, and how much experience points can be upgraded. These are very clear and can be queried at will.
Only by clarifying rewards and punishments can people be motivated to work hard. Of course, this model can only be implemented in a small country like Japan with few people. A joint battle involving 30,000 to 40,000 people has become a major battle that will go down in history. If this was done in China, it would make people laugh.
In ancient China, there were countless joint battles involving more than 100,000 people. It is simply an impossible task to record the achievements of each soldier in such a complex battle.
Precisely because rewards and punishments are unclear, many soldiers in ancient Chinese wars were soy sauce soldiers. Their military creed was to make a living. Otherwise, why would there be a saying that a good man should not be a soldier and a good man should not make nails.
Today, the soldiers of the Foreign Legion successfully blocked the strength of two cavalry battalions on the French-Swiss border, and they had also made contributions in the fire-fighting operation in Hamburg before. How could they not deserve the heavy achievements in exchange for their blood and lives? Heart?
During this period of time, the Japanese soldiers were privately guessing and discussing how much reward they would receive. Each of them was as uneasy as a little mouse pretending to be deaf.
But it is a pity that Xiao Letian's energy has been put elsewhere now, and it seems that he has no intention of rewarding based on his merits. All of these people are heartbroken.
"Father, I firmly believe that you have not forgotten our contribution, and I dare not ask for it from you...but please consider the hearts of the lower-level warriors. Their previous lives were too hard, and they had no way to repay us. It’s so easy to meet a wise man like my father, and they all cherish this life-changing opportunity..."
"Even if you have no plans for a post-war meeting yet, please say a word of comfort to calm their hearts... Please!"
After Nohira finished speaking, he fell to the ground. His shoulders kept rising and falling. The good man actually started sobbing.
Xiao Letian looked at Nohira and sighed in his heart. This nation is too contradictory. On the battlefield, they are all murderous gods, but in front of the master, they are as weak as children. They can easily throw away their lives, but they will argue endlessly over a small amount of merit.
"Nohira Tai, please get up. I should thank you today. It was you who reminded me that I was indeed negligent... There is nothing wrong. It is reasonable and reasonable to serve as a soldier and want credit, and there is no shame in it. On the contrary, keep it in your heart It’s life-threatening to keep things to yourself if you don’t say them…”
"You have also seen clearly what the Eight Banners soldiers and Green Camp soldiers of the Qing Dynasty were like. Why did those soldiers disperse as soon as they were beaten and never fought to the death without risking their lives? It was because the rewards and punishments were unclear, and even death was in vain. , then no one would risk their lives..."
Xiao Letian tapped his fingers lightly on the dining table. He was thinking carefully. After a while, he opened his mouth and said, "Let's do this. You go down and talk to all the Japanese brothers first. After returning to China, each soldier will be rewarded with 50 shi." fields... Well, your rewards in Japan are often represented by the amount of rice, and I don’t want to break this rule..."
"Ordinary soldiers will be rewarded 50 shi of land, officers will be rewarded double that, and those who died in battle will be tripled. Remember, this is not the final draft, it is just a minimum bottom line. After we return home, we will carefully calculate the merits everyone deserves. , anyway, there must be more than these... Do you think this is enough?"
Xiao Letian tentatively asked Noheita, but unexpectedly, Noheita had just stood up and then fell to his knees again with tears in his eyes.
"Father...wuwuwu!" Nohira was so excited that he couldn't restrain himself and couldn't even speak.
"Thank you, thank you father, it's too much, you gave too much..." This is definitely not a cliché from Noheita, this is what comes from the bottom of his heart.
Fifty shi of rice is not much, but what Xiao Letian gives is not just food. This is land that can produce 50 shi of grain every year. As long as the land is in hand, everyone will have food for life, and these 50 dan can be passed on to future generations. This is great benefit for thousands of years.
Xiao Letian finally felt relieved. He helped Nohira up and said softly, "That's enough, that's enough! China's wealth is unimaginable to you. This doesn't matter. I only want to be loyal. As long as you are loyal, I will." Don’t hesitate to reward me.”
"I don't hesitate to reward ordinary soldiers, but what about you and Houtaro? Since you are my adopted son, Xiao Letian, don't worry, you will definitely have a share in my career. Maybe I can't promise you everything, but as long as If you don’t give up, what I will give you back in the future will definitely be a great cause no less than that of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, do you believe it or not?”
With a bang, Nohira stood up and knocked over the stool. Those two names are familiar to all Japanese. They were famous figures during the Warring States Period and were great men who changed Japan's national destiny.
Now, Xiao Letian actually said that he would give them such a big career. How could he not be excited? Noheita didn't think Xiao Letian was deceiving him. What he had seen and heard since he followed his adoptive father was something he could never imagine in his life. He was stunned by China's vast land and rich resources, and his trip to Europe made him feel that he had been a frog in a well for the first half of his life.
The world is so vast, can't the Japanese always be crowded on that small island and live like mad dogs snatching food? My adoptive father is still young, and he will naturally have a biological son to inherit the most important business in the future. But today, my adoptive father finally admitted in person that he will leave us a huge family fortune, and it is unimaginably big.
This is enough. People cannot be too greedy. Nohira took half a step back and bowed ninety degrees to Xiao Letian in the most respectful manner. "Father, the lives of everyone in the Foreign Legion are in your hands. I am Just go and deliver the good news to them..." After saying that, he turned around and wanted to leave.
"Wait a minute..." Xiao Letian stopped him. "Don't you want to learn my insight into people's hearts? This is for you..." Xiao Letian took out a thick notebook from the briefcase behind him.
"This is not a secret book on the art of war. This is just a new note of mine. How much you can understand depends on you... In fact, there are no secret books in the world. All they have is human experience. The ancients gathered a lot of experience. Together, it becomes a book, and with a title, it becomes a unique skill."
"Father, I won't play tricks with you. Just take it. This is all my stuff..."
Nohira Taiko has been wandering all his life, and even the master who taught him kendo has never been so kind to him. At that moment, he really thought Xiao Letian was his biological father, and tears burst into his eyes.
Nohira left, taking Xiao Letian's secrets and promises with him. When he was about to disappear at the door, Xiao Letian didn't forget to shout, "I agree that you have some wine tonight to celebrate..."
When Noheita returned to the military camp, when Xiao Letian's reward was brought to the Foreign Legion, the expected cheers did not appear, but there were only endless tears. All the soldiers of the Foreign Legion bowed in the direction of Xiao Letian's residence. , and even some fanatical warriors cut the skin with their own ribs.
Blood flowed from the face along the wound, "I swear on my blood, I will be loyal to the Prime Minister for life, please take this life!" Countless people were infected by the blood, and they stabbed their faces and swore, and the strong smell of blood suddenly spread. All over the military camp.
The Han soldiers and the Prussian soldiers were dumbfounded. Although they could not understand the crazy behavior of these Japanese, they could feel the emotion.
Xiao Hexin said softly to the soldiers around him, "I can understand them. They have finally ushered in a big change in their lives. They have jumped from the lowest status of wild warriors, ronin, and pirates to superior people with land and dignity. How can they If you can’t be so ecstatic that you cry...go and help them purchase some fine wine, and we’ll congratulate them!”
"50 shi of food is not much, isn't it? Are you so excited?" the soldier next to him whispered.
"You don't understand. You don't understand that country. In that small island country that is suffering from volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons... any opportunity to improve one's status is worth fighting for. Wait. If you have the opportunity to go to that island country in the future, you will be able to understand it.”
...
