After resting for two days in Tangzhou, Wang Ruohai arrived. Entering the state government office, he saluted Wang Xiaolie.
Wang Xiaolie said: "When I return to Xiangyang this time, the military and administration of the eight states under my rule must be greatly changed. The counselor no longer needs to be in Caizhou. He returns to Xiangyang to take charge of the newly established headquarters. Tangzhou is in the interior and does not need to be garrisoned by generals. Xie Linong was transferred to Caizhou to take over as the counselor."
Wang Ruohai said: "I haven't been in Xiangyang for a long time, and I don't know what the newly established headquarters is responsible for——"
Wang Xiaolie said: "We'll talk about this in the evening. It's been a long journey for the counselor, so go and rest first. Prepare some thin wine in the evening to keep the counselor warm."
Wang Ruohai was suspicious, but he couldn't ask any more questions and left.
Seeing that it was getting dark, Xie Linong ordered the people of the state government to prepare wine and meat, and held a banquet under the big ginkgo tree in the courtyard. Because there were matters to be discussed tonight, except for Wang Xiaolie, Wang Ruohai, and Xie Linong, no one else from the state government attended.
After drinking for three rounds, Wang Xiaolian said: "There are two reasons for asking Councilor Wang to come back this time. First, there have been too many cases under Dong Ping's rule near Yancheng recently, and we cannot let him prey on the people. Zhang Jun went to Chen After the state, Caikou Town was captured, and there was no big move again. To be honest, Zhang Jun was smart and able to adapt to the situation, so he was a suitable candidate. But this person likes to be arbitrary and does not follow orders very much. Ordinary officials do what he wants It is not easy to be a boss. Counselor Wang is an official of the imperial court, so it is inevitable that he will not be satisfied when he is commanded."
Wang Ruohai hurriedly handed over his hand: "Zhen Fu, Zhang Jun has not violated any orders these days. It's just——"
Wang Xiaolie waved his hand and said: "The matter has passed. There is no need to say more. I am not going to pursue the matter. Xie Linong was a general who followed my father in the army. He has always been strict. No matter how lawless Zhang Jun is, he will not dare to Don't listen to his orders. It is more appropriate for him to go to Caizhou this time to take charge of the Jin Army's intelligence and the military affairs of several surrounding states."
Wang Xiaolie had already discussed this matter with Xie Linong several times, and they crossed their arms and made a promise.
Why did Zhang Jun dare not disobey Xie Li Nong's order? To put it bluntly, it was not because Xie Linong had more seniority, but because Xie Linong was a ruthless person among Wang Xiaolie's troops and officials. Under the leadership of Wang Xiaolie, Xie Linong's ruthlessness will not damage the overall situation. If the environment were changed, that might not be the case. Facing such a person, if Zhang Jun dares to disobey orders, he will be killed by Xie Linong.
Wang Xiaolie said: "Many people say that when leading troops, one must have exclusive power and cannot be interfered by other officials. After much thought, I think this is inappropriate. Judging from the wars between the imperial army of this dynasty and the Xixia, Khitan, and Jin Dynasties, autocratic generals are also We didn't win many battles. Therefore, a headquarters was set up in the army, and the headquarters exercised the command power of the army instead of the military commander. Chen Yuyi was originally supposed to be the headquarters of the Zhenfu Division. However, Chen Yuyi was originally a civilian official and had little knowledge of military matters. I am no longer proficient, and things are not done as expected. After returning to Xiangyang, I want Chen Yuyi to be responsible for supervising the officials under his rule, and Counselor Wang to take over the headquarters. We will talk about the specific things to be done when we return to Xiangyang."
"Headquarters?" Wang Ruohai pondered for a long time, wondering what this organization did.
Wang Xiaolie said: "To put it simply, the most important thing in the army is military orders. In the past, military orders came from the military commander, and later from the headquarters. The military commander is the ex-officio chief officer of the headquarters, and the consultation is like the signing of the local state government. "
"Oh -" Wang Ruohai nodded, somewhat understanding what Wang Xiaolie meant.
There is no headquarters, and military orders come from the individual commander. Military orders are like a mountain, and the commander of the army has absolute authority in the army and can tell the truth. With the headquarters, military orders come from the headquarters and are no longer under personal command. Although the military commander is still the chief officer, he no longer has the authority he had before.
A term that people in later generations will be more familiar with is staff department. The staff department is a part and main part of the headquarters. Although the staff has the power to plan operations, it does not have the power to directly issue military orders. The power of military orders belongs to the headquarters.
The Song Dynasty now implements the traditional Chinese staff system. The commander-in-chief, such as Wang Xiaolie, who was appointed as the governor of the town, had counselors and counselors under him, who were good at writing, doing office work, and various counselors. From an institutional perspective, counselors are subordinate to the commander-in-chief and have no power of their own.
The establishment of the headquarters and the clarification of its powers cannot be achieved overnight and need to be explored in practice. Wang Xiaolie's intention was very clear, to replace the personal leadership of the original general with the collective leadership of the headquarters.
Xie Linong on the side said: "It has been some time since we established the headquarters and observed it. Now we have no idea about the headquarters of the Zhenfu Division, and those of us below don't know what is going on. It is estimated that this matter will not be resolved in a short time. It’s hard to accomplish.”
Wang Xiaolie said: "After returning to Xiangyang, I will set a timetable. When will the Zhenfu Division be completed? How much time will it take for the troops at all levels below to complete it? When the time is up, those who cannot be completed will be held accountable. From now on, no matter what you do, Things must be listed in detail and marked with time, and we can no longer leave it to your whim. This is not only true for the military, but also for local governments."
Xie Linong was startled for a moment and said, "Things in the world are ever-changing, how can we plan everything well?"
Wang Xiaolie said with a smile: "This is the ability to plan and the ability to complete the following. Those who are not good at it should either study hard or stop doing this job. There are many skills that can make a living in the world, so there is no need to do it. Gather in the government office."
Xie Linong looked at Wang Ruohai and then at Wang Xiaolie. After confirming that Wang Xiaolie was not joking, he quickly took a sip of wine to calm down his shock.
Wang Ruohai didn't care and said: "This is the best. The items are clear and the generals and officials are not allowed to waste their time."
Wang Xiaolie nodded: "Yes, if the task is not clear, many people can put it off. Things are always left unfinished, and it is still unclear who should be responsible. This is not possible. In the following days, our The task is very arduous and there is no room for slacking off.”
After talking about the upcoming work arrangements, the conversation among the three slowly turned to the situation around Caizhou.
Wang Ruohai said: "The latest news I heard is that Feng Changning of Chenzhou wants to vote for Liu Yu. However, the official position Liu Yu gave Feng Changning is not high, and the negotiation is not suitable for a while. Moreover, Liu Yu has just ascended the throne, and he probably does not have the power to invade Chenzhou. Feng Changning is not in a hurry. However, Feng Changning is not determined to serve the country and may give up Chenzhou at any time and seek refuge with Liu Yu. There is nothing suspicious about it."
Wang Xiaolie said to Xie Linong: "After you arrive in Caizhou, tell Zhang Jun not to push Chenzhou too hard. Its sphere of influence must be twenty miles away from Chenzhou City, and it mainly focuses on protecting the other side of the river. Feng Changning did not vote for Liu Yu, and nearby The pressure on a few states will not be too great. In two or three years, the situation will be completely different. At that time, we have sorted out the states under our control, the military is stronger, and we can defend with ease."
Wang Ruohai said: "In the land of eight states, the number of troops is limited after all. If the Jin army attacks Shaanxi with all their strength, it will be difficult to defend."
Wang Xiaolie said: "In the past few years, the Jin Army has only thought about plundering. The prefectures and counties to the north and east of us have been severely damaged by the Jin Army and have a sparse population. To attack us, the Jin Army needs a lot of manpower from Hebei Transport food. How many manpower can the Jin Army recruit? I estimate that it is beyond the Jin Army's ability to support a hundred thousand troops in combat for half a year. So we set up guerrilla zones so that the Jin Army cannot collect food or people from here. , it is the strongest protection for us. Once the Jin army stabilizes the rear, we are not afraid of him coming to attack."
