Wang Xiaolie sat under the eaves and watched the craftsmen in front of him busy. A group of masons are making stone mills. Another group of carpenters are making an oil press.
Of course there were stone mills in this era for grinding tofu. It's just not easy to buy, and it's always different from Wang Xiaolie's memory. There were all kinds of people in the army, so they found a few stonemasons to make them again. As for the oil press, it is really impossible to buy it.
There is already oil at this time. The most common vegetable oil is sesame oil. It is commonly used for lighting lamps and frying food. There is also rapeseed oil in some areas in the south, but it is still not widely used. The soybean oil that Wang Xiaolie wanted was not available, so he had to squeeze it himself.
Wang Xiaolie didn't know how to extract oil. However, some of the carpenters in the army had made machines for pressing sesame oil, so they just copied them.
In the open space in front, thirty low-level generals selected by Wang Xiaolie were learning to read with Yang Shen. Not many people in the military are literate. Except for Wang Xiaolie, who was familiar with poetry and books, the others did not know poetry. Yang Shen is a businessman and the most literate. Wang Zhong came from a humble background. It was only after Wang Rudai became a Jinshi that he could barely recognize a few big characters. Among the generals, Shao Ling and Cao Zhiyan both knew one or two hundred characters, while Xie Linong could not read a single big character. Among the other officers and soldiers in the army, only about fifty people could recognize their own names, and the rest were completely illiterate.
The Northern Song Dynasty did not require military commanders to read. Even during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, on the one hand, he had articles to encourage learning, and on the other hand, he encouraged generals not to study. Therefore, there are many illiterates in the army, and it has even become a temporary trend. Yang Liulang, the most famous general of the Yang family who was familiar to later generations, was illiterate. Because he was illiterate, he handed over military affairs to an official and suffered a lot.
For Wang Xiaolie, how can it be okay if the officers and soldiers are illiterate? There are countless benefits to being literate. What impressed me deeply was that I saw a photo in my previous life. During the most dangerous time, Red Army soldiers were on their way to escape. Each one of them was carrying a literacy card behind his back. That army emerged from the war not only with bravery and fearlessness, but also with many thought-provoking qualities.
Wang Xiaolie didn't know how to train troops. You have to find the right person and learn it before you can really start. Before that, let’s learn how to read.
The sun has risen and the weather is getting hotter. Yang Shen's mouth was dry and he ordered to take a rest.
Wang Zhong went back and brought some cold water to quench Wang Xiaolie's thirst. After walking out of the door, I saw several generals sitting in a shady place, talking among themselves. Wang Zhong didn't want to eavesdrop, but he overheard them talking about Wang Xiaolie, so he leaned closer secretly.
One of them said: "Xiao Sheren asked us to come to train together. We thought we were going to learn some martial arts of bow and horse, but unexpectedly we came to learn how to read!"
Another said: "For those of us who hold swords and guns, what is the use of literacy? When the two armies confront each other, instead of using swords and guns, they just place a large piece of paper in front of the formation, and the generals on both sides hold awls and write there? Who writes more? You can win? How can there be such a good thing in the world!"
As soon as this was said, everyone laughed together.
Another one said: "Xiao Sheren has been reading and writing since he was a child. He only thinks that everyone in the world is like this. How can we be the same as those who use swords and guns? What we need is agility, bravery and not afraid of death, which is a very good general. "
The one next to him said: "Yes, yes, that's right! Just like now, the Jin army is everywhere, who can stop them? But I heard that those Jin people all live in the deep mountains and old forests. Don't say they can read or speak. I can’t even explain it. Aren’t you still invincible?”
Everyone said yes together. Although there were not many literate people in the Song Army, there were even fewer literate people across from the Jin people. It can be said that it makes no sense for Wang Xiaolie to ask for these to learn literacy.
After chatting for a while, someone said: "You can't say that. Since the official left, we have been wandering around for more than a year, and life has been really hard. Since Xiaosheren woke up, he led us to win consecutive battles. Only then can we have success." Today. Xiaoshe people say that literacy is useful, and it makes sense after all."
But when he said this, people around him didn’t believe it. There was a lot of discussion there.
Wang Zhong listened for a while and walked away quietly. Thinking of what they said just now, I think it makes sense. I don’t know what Xiaosheren thinks.
When he arrived in front of Wang Xiaolie, Wang Zhong poured water.
Wang Xiaolie drank. Wang Zhongdao: "I came over just now and heard a few generals chatting there. I don't know whether to tell the people of Xiaoshe. Their words involve the people of Xiaoshe. It's not good to just eavesdrop on others. .”
Wang Xiaolie said: "You know that eavesdropping is not good. Why do you still eavesdrop?"
Wang Zhongdao: "I just happened to pass by, but it was just unintentional."
Wang Xiaolie smiled: "Since you have heard it, let's talk about it."
Wang Zhong repeated what he just heard. He said to Wang Xiaolie: "Xiaoshe people, I heard that although what they said is unreasonable, they are reasonable. The purpose of wielding swords and guns in the army is to go into battle to kill the enemy. As long as you are undefeated in a battle and fight to the death with the enemy, you are very good. A good army. What’s the use of literacy?”
Wang Xiaolie thought for a while and said: "Uncle, when you go into battle to kill the enemy, is it just a matter of fighting on the spot? How do you deploy the army, how do you practice the skills of killing the enemy, how do you make enough food and grass, and all these things, but you don't need to be literate? If you are illiterate, you can only take a few hundred people, and it will be difficult if there are more people.”
Wang Zhongdao: "I heard them say, like the Jin people opposite, how many literate people are there? In more than twenty years, they destroyed the powerful Liao Dynasty and were invincible in our Song Dynasty. Their behavior obviously shows that literacy is useless."
Wang Xiaolie sighed: "You can't say that. If you want to become a strong army, besides literacy, of course there are other things to do. Of course the Jin people have their reasons for being so good at fighting, and this reason has nothing to do with literacy. But the Jin Army is illiterate. How long do you think their combat power can be maintained? One generation? Two generations? Maybe in a few decades, the Jin Army will not be able to fight."
Wang Zhong shook his head after hearing this: "Xiaoshe people are joking! The bravery of the Jin army is rare in the world! How can such a powerful army be comparable to other armies!"
Wang Xiaolie could only smile bitterly. The current Song army thinks that the Jurchens' bravery is rare in the world. From the official to the private sector, there is actually little confidence in defeating the Jin Army. To say that there are people who can fight better than them is just nonsense. But little did they know that in a short time, the Mongols would emerge from the Jurchen further north. The invincible Jurchens' performance in front of the Mongols was not much better than that of the Song Dynasty against the Jin Dynasty.
Where does the army's combat effectiveness come from? In fact, there is no unified answer.
Soldiers who are brave and unafraid of death, and generals who are fearless and persevere to the end, such an army can definitely fight. This is the most common view. There are even some aggressive armies that kill people to practice courage and do many things that human nature cannot tolerate. In fact, many armies pursue inhumanity. People's kindness is seen as negative in their eyes.
There is also a kind of army that has a firm political stance, a firm will to fight, and a clear understanding of why it is fighting. This kind of army is rare. If Wang Xiaolie hadn't seen this kind of army in his previous life, he probably wouldn't have realized it. Of course there are such armies in history, such as the Yue Family Army. It's just that they are not as good as the army of later generations, which was invincible with its troops of benevolence and righteousness.
What kind of army do you want to build? Of course it's the latter. At this time, Yue Fei can train the Yue Family Army. With one more lifetime of memory, he should be stronger. But how to say it? Others won't believe it. Even for the Yue Family Army in history, many people, including those in other armies, did not understand Yue Fei. A large part of the combat effectiveness of the Yuejia Army comes from strict military discipline.
Military discipline alone is not enough. The most important thing is to let everyone in the army, from generals to soldiers, know clearly why they join the army, why they fight, who they are for, and what they are for. After that, we still need to know how to fight. Achieve maximum victory at minimum cost. It’s hard to be a victorious army, but there is always a way to learn. It is not easy for everyone to understand the meaning of war.
Wang Xiaolie didn't know how to do it, so he just tried to figure it out step by step. He doesn't even know how to train troops now, and everything has just begun.
