It is already very hot in Xiangyang in June, and all the pedestrians on the street are in a hurry, walking along the shady ground on the roadside. The yellow dog lying on the side of the road opened its mouth wide and kept panting. Even the cicadas chirping under the big willow trees beside the road were a little feeble.
After getting off his horse in front of the riverside restaurant, Wang Xiaolie said: "It's so hot today! It's like the sun is going to melt you!"
As he spoke, he entered the restaurant first.
At this time, the riverside restaurant is no longer what it was when Wang Xiaolie first came to Xiangyang. The hall on the first floor is several times the original size and is divided into several areas. Facing the door is a large ordinary table, the same as before. On the west side, a screen was used to create a pavilion. There were sounds of silk and bamboo, as well as the sounds of women singing. To the east is the stage, with tables placed in front of the stage for guests to enjoy the show while drinking.
Manager Chang saw Wang Xiaolie stop and said hurriedly: "Observe, the banquet prepared by the Yamen is in the pavilion on the second floor."
Wang Xiaolie pointed to a speaker on the east stage who raised his hands and feet in a very formal manner and asked: "What is said over there? The previous speakers mostly talked about smoke powder ghosts and legendary koans. There are people who lecture on scriptures and history, but I have never seen anything like that.”
Manager Chang said: "Returning to the observation, the speaker is Wen Shiliu Lang. He created a new way of speaking, specifically talking about battle formations and how the officers and soldiers fought against the Jin army. He is known as "Tieqi'er". All he talks about recently is observation. Leading troops to aid Shaanzhou, the people in the city love it the most!"
"Oh——" Wang Xiaolie nodded. After thinking for a while, he walked towards the stairs. Halfway through, he said to the manager: "You will ask Wen Liulang to come upstairs later and tell us a story about iron cavalry."
"Okay, okay." Manager Chang nodded hurriedly in agreement.
This is a large pavilion with three tables inside. It is far more than an ordinary small pavilion. Three young men stood inside, welcoming everyone in, taking wet hair, and letting everyone wipe their faces.
Everyone took their seats. Wang Xiaohunting said: "According to the imperial edict, Shao Tongzhi led the army back from Shaanzhou, and we took over for him. In the battle of Shaanzhou, we defeated Lousu, saved Shaanzhou, and established the reputation of our Dengzhou Army! It is true! It’s not easy.”
Everyone said yes.
That's how things are in the world. I racked my brains and put in all my effort when doing it, but even if I succeed, I don’t feel it’s a big deal. After the incident was over, it slowly fermented, and the impact was far beyond the expectations of the parties involved.
When he was rescuing Shaanzhou, Wang Xiaolie gathered the army of Dengzhou, exhausted the grain reserves in several states, and fought bloody battles on the battlefield. When he won and saved Li Yanxian, he didn't think it was anything special. It's just a victory. If you raise your own troops, you should win the battle. But after the incident passed, the impact of Shaanzhou's victory slowly became apparent.
Not to mention the imperial court's rewards and attention, Wang Xiaolie's weight in the eyes of other officials was completely different from before. This was the first big victory for the Song Army against the Jin Army. Everyone should look up to Wang Xiaolie. What's more important is the influence it has on the people. At first, people who participated in the war told the story of the war, which inevitably added fuel to the fire. It is passed down to ten people, and it is passed down to hundreds of people. Everyone adds their own thoughts, and the story becomes more and more bizarre. Until finally, someone based these stories on the stage, attracting people to come and watch them.
Chen Yuyi said: "Wen Shiliu Lang, who talks about Iron Cavalry, is really a character. He speaks vividly, as if he was actually on the battlefield. If I hadn't experienced it personally and recorded it specifically, I would have thought that what he said was true."
Wang Xiaolie laughed and said, "Why, what you said is different from the real situation on the battlefield?"
Chen Yuyi waved his hands repeatedly: "Observation, how can it be the same? Fighting on the battlefield is about strategizing and winning thousands of miles away. Who has the patience to listen to him talking about the arrangements before the war? Every time, the general said what should be done, which one The general listens to the order. After the general receives the order, he must say that he will stand up the army and be willing to chop off the head of the person on the neck if he loses. This happens again and again! Alas, the military order was invalidated by observation!"
Everyone burst into laughter after hearing this. During the Battle of Shaanzhou, Wang Xiaolie explicitly abolished military orders, but the speaker used them again and again.
Xue Chengdao: "Not only that, what happened on the battlefield is also very different from the reality. What the people like to hear is how brave the generals and soldiers are, and how happy they kill the enemy. In actual battlefield, what is important is to remain motionless. Let the enemy No matter how the army attacks, I remain motionless. When I move, I am as fast as a rabbit running away, attacking the enemy's weak points quickly. What is the meaning of such a battle? What the speaker said is that if you stab with a spear, you will bring him out. There was a large blood flower. With one slash, a few heads were cut off. The enemy general saw how pale his face was."
Wang Ruohai couldn't help but shook his head after hearing this: "The speaker is trying to please the people who listen to him after all. How can he care about the real situation? It's just that the people were bullied by Jin Lu and used this to vent their anger."
Wang Xiaolie nodded. After a while, he said: "But we can't take this matter lightly. It's not what the speaker said, but the fact that the people attach so much importance to victory or defeat on the battlefield. Where does the army's combat effectiveness come from? It's not just adequate supplies and well-trained training, but more importantly The most important thing is to have the support of the people. The military’s victory on the battlefield must be shared with the people. Everyone has seen that even if we don’t do it, there are still people who will do it.”
Chen Yuyi said: "Observation means that we should encourage the speaker?"
Wang Xiaolie shook his head: "Of course not. You have also said that what the speaker said is completely inconsistent with what happened on the battlefield. If they were told to speak according to the actual situation on the battlefield, I'm afraid no one would listen. Don't worry about them. The speaker earns some food and clothing, the people get happiness, and they get the best of both worlds. Instead, the army and the government must have their own systems to publicize to the people based on the facts. Not just in the form of speech, but also in various forms of entertainment. All can be used. It is not to make money, but to let the people know how the army fights. Why the army fights, how many difficulties it faces, and how many people die on the battlefield. Why does this army fight so bravely, and why are they not afraid of death."
Chen Qiudao nodded: "The observation is true. If the government doesn't say it, the people can only listen to what the people say. As time goes by, maybe they will really think that fighting on the battlefield is like that."
This is inevitable. During the war between the two Song Dynasties, later generations did not understand the real situation on the battlefield due to lack of information. What many later generations know about is the story of Yue and others. For many people, this is the time when Gao favors Lu Wenlong and Lu Wenlong, who is mad at Wushu and laughs to death at Niu Gao. Real war, for many people, is a very strange thing.
Before the wine was served, Manager Chang led Wen Shiliulang upstairs.
Wen Jiumei was in his forties, with a thin face and a few gray beards. When he got upstairs, he saluted everyone. He said: "I heard that Mr. Shiliu has met all the officials."
Wang Xiaolie said: "I heard that the iron cavalry you mentioned is very popular with the people. Today we will support Shao Tongzhi. Please come up and say something. If you speak well, you will be rewarded."
Manager Chang did not say the identities of Wang Xiaolie and others. Wen Shiliu Lang took one look and knew that these people had unusual identities, and he was extremely cautious. Following the instructions, he stood under the window, put on his instruments, etc.
After clearing his throat, Wen Shiliu Lang said loudly: "Speaking of that Jing——"
Wang Xiaolie waved his hand: "You don't have to start from the beginning. Just choose the part you are most proud of and tell us a short paragraph."
Wen Liulang hurriedly said yes. He lowered his head and thought for a while, then said: "Okay. Let me tell you a story about the guerrilla general Shao Tongzhi who rode into the Golden Formation alone——"
Shao Ling was stunned. He whispered to Wang Xiaolie: "Observe, when did I become a guerrilla general?"
Wang Xiaolie smiled and said: "Don't worry about him. The official system of this dynasty is complicated and many people don't understand it. Adding a general will sound impressive."
The guerrilla general is a Wu Sanguan, the thirteenth rank among the twenty-nine ranks, starting from the fifth rank. After the Shenzong Dynasty, officials were dismissed and officials were dismissed, and there was no such thing as dismissal after that. But how can the common people get clean official positions? At this time, it was popular to talk about three points, and the speaker followed the way of the Three Kingdoms and gave the generals various titles. He speaks smoothly and sounds majestic to the people.
This is not nonsense. For example, after Zhang Jun arrived in Shaanxi, he specially sealed the altar and worshiped Qu Duan as a mighty general. This mighty general is not a military official, and I don’t know what it means. It’s just that he will be solemn when he comes to the altar to pay homage.
Seeing that no one was talking, Shiliu Lang started to speak. Seeing that everyone was listening attentively, the more they talked, the more excited they became. In his mouth, Shao Ling held a long spear in his hand. Gods blocking the way killed gods, and Buddhas blocking the way killed Buddhas. One person provoked hundreds of people, and killed the Jin army to scatter.
Shao Ling's eyes widened when he heard this, and he stared blankly at Wen Liulang, who was salivating, and even wondered if he was fake.
After finishing one sentence, Wen Shiliu Lang held up his hands and said, "I'm a little clumsy, please don't blame me, officials."
Wang Xiaolie said with a smile: "What you said is very good. The ten taels of silver here are your reward today."
After saying that, he signaled Cui Qing to take the silver and reward it to Wen Liulang.
Where did Wen Shiliu Lang get so much reward? Thank you endlessly. Going downstairs with the silver in your hand is like stepping on a pile of cotton.
Food and drinks are served. Wang Xiaolie raised his glass and said with a smile: "I don't want the battle in Shaanzhou to be like this in the eyes of the people. Shao Ling is particularly dissatisfied with controlling the people, and he wants to add a general. Come, let's have a full cup!"
Shao Ling said hurriedly: "The speaker is talking nonsense——"
Wang Xiaolie said with a smile: "We are just listening for fun and drinking."
Putting down his wine glass, Wang Xiaolie said: "The common people are having fun, and the government should not interfere. It's just that what I heard from the speaker is far from the truth. It's okay for the common people to enjoy themselves in their free time, but they can't take it seriously."
Wang Ruohai shook his head and said: "Ordinary people are ignorant and have heard these stories too many times. How can they not take them seriously?"
Wang Xiaolie nodded, thoughtfully. Yes, the common people don't know what the battlefield is like. They have heard these stories so many times, how could they not take them seriously? Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the biography of Yue Fei, and the case of Bao Gong, how many people take these stories seriously? Even the anti-Japanese dramas of later generations were the same.
