In the history of war, innovation in tactics and equipment is often the key to victory.
Perhaps Cao Xiu had not experienced this before, but now, he was deeply impressed.
During the early conquests of the Han Dynasty, in most people's minds, the only question of war was "how much".
There are more people and fewer people, more money and less money, more and less strategy, but few people will come up with innovations in tactics and weapons...
In fact, strictly speaking, this kind of innovation is not absent in the history of China, but it is often abbreviated intentionally or unintentionally. It became the "inspiration of great righteousness" of a certain commander, or a certain king, or "leadership".
You Fang", as for these details, it seems that they are not worth worrying about.
After all, if you really care about it, you will find that things are done by the people, and the blood and sweat are also shed by the people. The people play a decisive role in the war, rather than a simple commander or king. If there are no people, there will only be
The commander-in-chief or the king are useless. But how can these ignorant people know this fact?
Therefore, in the feudal dynasty, the commander-in-chief was the most important and the king was the greatest. The gentry and gentry repeatedly emphasized that everything was attributed to the leader and the emperor.
Obviously this statement is beneficial to the gentry and gentry.
But war cannot rely solely on words.
Tactics and equipment are undoubtedly very important elements of war.
Tactics are the strategies and means used by the army on the battlefield. It is like a wise man's chess game. Every move is related to life and death, and every move affects the situation of the battle.
Equipment is the sharp sword in the hands of soldiers and the material basis for them to defeat the enemy. A well-handled weapon can often make soldiers more powerful and invincible.
Therefore, innovation in tactics and equipment is like injecting fresh blood into the army, giving it a stronger combat effectiveness.
Tactical innovations are undoubtedly powerful. For example, from competing in chariot formations to riding alone on a walking horse, such as lower Sis versus Upper Sis, or encircling Wei and rescuing Zhao, etc., these can greatly affect the entire battle situation.
Similarly, the innovation of weapons is also an important factor in the victory of war. Ancient weapons range from stone axes and stone knives in the Stone Age, to swords and halberds in the Bronze Age, to steel armors in the Iron Age. Every innovation in weapons is accompanied by the form of war.
changes.
During the Warring States Period, the Qin State's crossbow manufacturing technology became increasingly sophisticated, which greatly enhanced the Qin Army's long-range attack power; during the Han Dynasty, advances in steel smelting technology made the Han Army's weapons sharper and more durable, thus occupying the battlefield against the Xiongnu.
advantages.
But now, what Cao Xiu has to face is not only a more advanced hussar army in terms of tactics, but also a more sophisticated equipment. This will greatly test Cao Xiu's wisdom and courage.
What to do, how to fight?
This was the question that Cao Xiu thought about the most and was the most worried about along the way.
He did not blame Cao Hong for giving him the most difficult task.
Obviously, being in the camp or hiding in Gufeng Mountain will undoubtedly make Cao's soldiers feel safer and maintain a certain level of morale and combat effectiveness, while fighting the hussars in the wild...
In the temporary camp in the dead of night, under the oil lamp in the tent, Cao Xiu's face looked particularly determined.
Well, that’s right, perseverance.
Because these ordinary soldiers of Cao's army, as well as Cao Xiu's private soldiers, all need to see a "resolute" Cao Xiu.
Therefore, Cao Xiu would have a steady gaze and a serious face, without a smile, clenching his teeth, and making his facial lines more prominent on his cheekbones and chin to form a "resolute" general that fit the hearts of Cao's soldiers.
But in fact, underneath his "firm" appearance, he was feeling uneasy in his heart.
He had to undertake side attacks and breakthroughs to open up the situation for Cao's army, and it was even possible to face the hussars head-on in the open fields, which led to Cao Xiu's Yali Mountain being huge.
Under this pressure, Cao Xiu thought of a new type of horse-fighting that could rely on baggage vehicles.
If this new type of horse-resistance can be successfully realized, its unique design can be deployed when enemy cavalry attacks, and together with the baggage vehicles, it can build a stable defensive front to shelter Cao's soldiers and resist the impact of hussars, thus allowing
Cao's army was able to seize some of the initiative in the battle and would not be led by the flexible hussars.
"This is the new Juma."
Cao Xiu pointed to the fresh sketch and said.
What?
Three View?
Do not make jokes.
Cao Xiu can roughly draw a sketch, which is already very remarkable.
The descendants of the gentry in Shandong, as well as the vast majority of Shandong bureaucrats, would never give their subordinates any chance to write something in black and white.
These bureaucrats will try their best to avoid putting requests into written documents to avoid leaving traceable evidence. They prefer to communicate them orally or make them in informal settings.
He would only talk empty words at conferences, and then raise specific work requirements in private.
So Cao Xiu could give me a sketch. Although this sketch is indeed a bit "rough", it is already very valuable.
"This..." The general in charge of the rear camp looked at the "sketch" with different thicknesses of ink lines and was more abstract than concrete. Then he looked at Cao Xiu's serious expression. He swallowed and said subconsciously, "General, I'm afraid this is not the case."
It’s easy to do...』
Is it really hard to do?
He can't even understand the sketch. Who knows if it will be done well?
The rear battalion general said this just because he was instinctively trying to shift the blame. If something really went wrong, he could also say that he had told Cao Xiu beforehand that it was "not easy to do." So if there was any quality problem, then at least
The board will feel lighter.
Cao Xiu stared at the rear camp general with sharp eyes and a serious tone, "I'm not asking if you can do it well, but I'm asking if you can do it."
Although it was just a rough sketch, Cao Xiu knew that if this new type of horse-rejection could be completed with quality and quantity, it would undoubtedly be a strong shield that could stand on the battlefield for Cao's soldiers.
"The general has an order, and his subordinates will even risk their lives..." The rear battalion general straightened his back quickly and answered in a deep voice according to the standard format.
Shandong, regardless of ability, "execution" is the key.
Only those who can "execute" are good subordinates and will be "reused" by their superiors.
This argument that blindly emphasizes that "execution" is the most important thing for officials reflects the extreme implementation of policies, the anomalous behavior of officials, the decline of social culture, the lack of law and ethics, the ineffective information dissemination and supervision, etc.
question.
Of course, this is understandable given the limitations of the simple and backward official system of the feudal dynasty.
Therefore, although they were confused by this simple diagram, the rear camp generals did not dare to disobey Cao Xiu's orders.
Under the general principle of "execution is the key", even if he had doubts, he had no choice but to follow the order. He secretly hoped that he and his back-camp craftsmen could understand the structure of the objects reflected in the sketches and create
A new type of horse that meets Cao Xiu's requirements.
"What's this?"
The old craftsmen in the back camp widened their eyes.
"This is a new style of horse-rejection painted by the general himself!"
The rear battalion general also stared blankly.
"Is this a rejection of the horse?"
The old craftsman's eyes widened even more.
"Just reject the horse."
The rear battalion generals were also wide-eyed.
"No..." The old craftsman couldn't laugh or cry, "Sir, you... you have to explain this, what should you do?"
The rear battalion rolled his eyes and said, "This is General Cao's order! I'm asking you whether you should do it or not?!"
The old craftsman frowned, "This, this, must be done, but..."
"You said you can do it," the rear battalion general immediately put on a smiling face, "I leave this matter to you! I believe you can do it well! Just say whatever you need! I can
Everything will be done for you! You have to know that General Cao personally wants this new Jima, so it must be dealt with as soon as possible! This matter is very important, so do it well and do it with concentration!"
The rear battalion general seemed to have said a lot, but seemed to have said nothing clearly.
The old craftsman had no choice but to agree, then took the sketch and walked back.
When the general of the rear camp saw that the craftsman had left, he waved to the personal guards at the side.
"You, go and keep an eye on that old guy," the rear battalion general warned, "Don't get close, don't talk, just keep an eye on it, and report back immediately if anything happens, do you understand?"
The personal guard understood, "I understand, I understand. Don't give them an excuse...if it succeeds, it's yours; if it fails, it's theirs..."
"You little clever guy..." the rear battalion general laughed and kicked the bodyguard, "Hurry up and go!"
When the results appear, if the task is successful, the bureaucrat will emphasize that his leadership was good; if it fails, he will shift the responsibility to his subordinates, saying that they failed to understand the instructions correctly or failed to implement them effectively.
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If Shandong officials do not know this trick, they cannot be called qualified officials.
And if it really fails, Shandong officials can retrace the process first, look for every possible mistake made by their subordinates, and conduct a deep review. On the contrary, if it succeeds, then the credit is limited to a narrow scope, and all the details of the process are not important.
, just because of your own wise decision-making or guidance.
This approach ensures that bureaucrats maximize their own interests while minimizing their liability in any situation.
As for why Cao Xiu couldn't find craftsmen directly, it was because in the land of Shandong, the ministers' ministers were not the monarch's ministers.
Regardless of whether it is a higher-level report or a higher-level delegation, it is a very big "taboo" in Shandong officialdom.
Although there is no explicit regulation, those who cross-level to petition and those who cross-level to issue orders will be excluded by the entire officialdom. Therefore, Cao Xiu can only go to the rear camp general, and then the rear camp general will go to the craftsmen under his jurisdiction. The same craftsmen
If there is a problem, you can only go to the rear camp general, not Cao Xiu directly.
Of course, there are various reasons for formulating such a charter, or it may be called unspoken rules, but in the final analysis, the essence of these reasons is to protect the superior leaders, not to solve the problems at the lower levels.
As a result, Cao Xiu's army craftsmen encountered another severe challenge in their lives.
Even old craftsmen who are very good at military equipment couldn't help but scratch their heads when they saw Cao Xiu's sketch. Although these craftsmen in Shandong during the Han Dynasty had not yet developed a three-view drawing method, most of them still used simple one-view drawings.
View, but for Cao Xiu’s general and simple pattern, I still feel that there is nowhere to start.
Several craftsmen met and each had a different opinion.
Some craftsmen think that they should make a model first and then report it to the final model before making the actual object.
Some craftsmen said that now that the war is imminent, they must speed up. The model is too slow, and they must at least prepare the actual object while making the model.
Some craftsmen are saying that they don’t know how big the new Juma will be. It’s too big to transport, and it’s too small to be of any use.
"Like this, like this," the old craftsman was helpless, "draw a picture first, and then I'll ask the general what he said..."
Only then did all the craftsmen settle down and draw their own pictures.
From a distance, the guards of the rear battalion general looked at him, then sneered a few times, turned around and left.
When the craftsmen in the rear camp had to go to the general of the rear camp after their discussions failed to produce any results, as expected they were scolded by the general of the rear camp.
"Have I told you that this is a sketch drawn by General Cao himself? It is something that General Cao personally wants?! Huh?!" The rear battalion general said aggressively, "Have I told you this? Time is tight and the task is heavy.
You have to work hard to do it?! Huh?!』
"But..." The old craftsman felt that he was wronged and wanted to defend himself.
"But what?!" The rear battalion general sneered, "But what are you doing? Huh?! A group of people are just talking but not doing anything! What is this? This is a deliberate slacking off in military affairs! This is a deliberate disobedience to General Cao
Military order! Are you too brave to give up your head? Huh?!』
"But..." The old craftsman held up the new drawings drawn by the craftsmen in his hand, "Sir..."
"If you still want to recognize me as a commander, you should go to work quickly!" The rear battalion general waved his arms, "Look, it's almost midnight. I gave you so much time, but you couldn't get anything done!"
Does this make sense?! Huh?! What is this? The picture you drew? What a fool you are! You have to refer to General Cao’s drawing! General Cao’s picture! Do you understand? Execution, execution is the key! Do you understand?
!If you don’t carry out General Cao’s orders well, you will be blamed when the time comes. Don’t blame me for being merciless! I’ve told you everything, and you still don’t hurry up and do the work?! How long do you want to linger here? Huh?!』
After the general of the rear camp said yes, the old craftsman was naturally defeated.
So, when the night passed and Cao Xiu ushered in a new day, he also saw the "new style of horse" built by the craftsmen in the back camp overnight...
Cao Xiu looked over and felt his eyeballs hurt slightly, as if he had been pricked by something.
The "New Style Juma" is of different sizes and shapes. Does it look like the sketch drawn by Cao Xiu? If you say it doesn't look like it, it is somewhat similar, but if you say it is the same, it is basically insulting your IQ.
Cao Xiu now feels that his own intelligence has been insulted...
"What is this?" Cao Xiu suppressed his anger and said, pointing at the "New Style Horses" of different sizes.
For example, the largest "New Style Juma" is placed at the front. It is majestic, like two siege ladders combined together. People can stand within the frame of the Juma, and archers can be stationed at the top.
!
Cao Xiu looked at this huge "New Style Juma" and tried to find the shadow of the sketch he had drawn in the appearance and frame. As a result, he found that except for the appearance of Juma on the frame, nothing else resembled it.
Are you sure this thing can be pushed?
It's good to use it as a fixed fortification, but Cao Xiu wants to fight in the wild. Carrying a baggage truck is already slow. Now that he brings such a thing, it is not as fast as a turtle!
There are also small Jima horses.
But the small Juma in front of Cao Xiu was convenient and easy to transport, but Cao Xiu was speechless for a while when he saw that his legs could even cross the low bar of this little Juma...
Are you sure this thing isn't a toy?
There is also a Juma that is of a suitable size, but the crossbar of that Juma seems to have been finely processed, with specially carved patterns on it, and it is cut to create an undulating effect of varying thicknesses.
"Why is this pole like this?!"
Cao Xiu patted the crossbar that blocked the horse, and felt his left eyeball and brain throbbing with pain.
"General Qi, these are all made according to your sketch." The craftsman who was kneeling on the ground did not dare to raise his head. "They are made according to the changes in the thickness of the crossbar in your sketch. It is guaranteed to be exactly the same..."
』
"I don't care..."
Cao Xiu grabbed the sketch he had drawn with his hand, and then saw that the horizontal bars on his sketch had indeed changed in thickness, and the waves were undulating...
Cao Xiu shook the sketch and became furious, "Open your dog eyes and see clearly! This! Is this like this?! This is my pen... Oh my!"
Obviously, if you are not a professional, please do not try sketching with a brush.
But Cao Xiu never expected that craftsmen would also copy the thickness changes of the lines drawn by his brush...
Due to the inaccuracy of the sketch, the craftsmen had to use their own discretion in the structural design. All the finished products had different shapes, which were quite different from Cao Xiu's original vision.
Cao Xiu realized that due to poor communication and errors in understanding, his innovative attempts not only failed to achieve what he hoped for, but also caused a lot of chaos.
Looking at the chaotic "New Style Refusal Horses", Cao Xiu suddenly realized the huge gap between Shandong and Guanzhong. This gap is not in these woods and stones, or mountains and rivers, but in the hearts of people.
He suddenly figured out why Shandong could never catch up with Guanzhong...
If there is gunpowder in Guanzhong, does it not exist in Shandong?
As a result, the gunpowder in Guanzhong can be derived from artillery, while the gunpowder in Shandong is still a firework.
How long has the Guanzhong Huangshi ruler been implemented?
But because the land in Shandong is on the scale of Guanzhong, there are still many local counties and counties that are unwilling to use it, or even refuse it completely...
There are also those metallurgy and forging workshops, as well as these craftsmen in front of you...
Cao Xiu looked at the "New Style Juma" of various sizes and shapes, and sighed.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the rear battalion general immediately pointed at the old craftsman and cursed, "Old guy, why didn't you follow the general's instructions and the general's sketches?! I gave you trust and time.
, I gave you the tools you needed, and you ended up taking out this kind of thing to repay the general?! Hmm?! Let me tell you, all the blame for this time is..."
"Okay!" Cao Xiu roared angrily, interrupting the general.
Now, all we can do is redo it.
But the time wasted, the energy and physical energy wasted, and various non-renewable materials...
The general quickly shrank the angry look on his face and replaced it with a flattering smile, "General, these bastards are disobedient..."
"Stop talking nonsense." Cao Xiu waved his hand and summoned the craftsmen who were kneeling on the ground. He did not blame them, but pointed at the sketch he had drawn again and said, "Come on, come here, that's what I thought..."
