Jiang Xian, who was commanding at a higher level, was certainly not complacent. He realized that he had made mistakes that were enough to make Li Xingchen angry.
"Why don't the artillery fire directly and shoot at the deep cover?" Li Xingchen's voice was cold. Fortunately, this was a drill. If it was really a war, how many Han soldiers would lose their lives?
One misstep can lead to eternal regrets, and delays in the general's command may very well lead to the failure of the entire war.
Li Xingchen couldn't just ignore it.
Jiang Xian hurriedly knelt down on one knee and said, "Your Majesty, due to my negligence, after the artillery stopped firing, many soldiers helped to board the ship. There was no one at the artillery station to control the ship. The soldiers on the ship had to wait until the ship landed ashore before the soldiers on the ship could return."
Li Xingchen was startled for a moment and nodded slightly.
This explanation does make sense.
In fact, it is not the fault of Jiang Xian's slowness, but the fault of the Five-Tooth Ship itself.
The draft of the Wuya big ship is already relatively deep. Now Jiang Xian and the others have modified the ship according to the characteristics of the enemy's water stronghold with complete equipment, which is equivalent to increasing the draft of the Wuya big ship. In order to be able to
Close to the shore, naturally the increased draft can only be reduced from another angle, so the number of soldiers carried on the ship can only be reduced.
After all, compared to before, the ship has a giant shield that is more efficient at blocking arrows. Naturally, there is no need for so many people to stand on the deck carrying shields, so it is reasonable for the number of soldiers on the ship to decrease.
But the problem is that the reduction in number means that it is impossible for one soldier to be separated and used as two people for many things. Especially when the soldiers on the ship transfer to the ship for landing, the remaining soldiers are just busy controlling the noose, stabilizing the ship, etc.
By the time they were already very busy, the soldiers who controlled the artillery and even the original equipment such as trebuchets basically came over to help. Who could control the artillery to complete the extension of the artillery fire?
"If there is a fault in the middle, our losses will definitely be very large." Li Xingchen said directly. This problem is true, but it is not really impossible to solve. "Our first task is not to send people to the water.
If you can't suppress the enemy in depth, no matter how many people you send ashore, you will still be a living target for the enemy."
After a pause, Li Xingchen pointed to the small boats on the water: "The soldiers who will come ashore will be mainly the land divisions on the south bank of the Huai River. The naval warships will be mainly responsible for covering and shooting on the water. It can be done ashore."
Slow down."
Although the number of warships of the Inland River Navy Division is not small, it is absolutely impossible to ferry tens of thousands of troops at once. Therefore, when the land division crosses the Huaihe River, it will definitely need to recruit a large number of civilian ships as the main means of transportation.
Of course, part of the reason is that these ships are built entirely in accordance with civilian standards. Even if they hit the beach directly, there is nothing to feel distressed about.
In comparison, the Mengchong and Chima of the Navy can transport up to several thousand soldiers, which is just the icing on the cake for the huge number of troops that need to cross the river. Therefore, we should still cover and carry out operations close to the shore on the water.
Artillery support is more appropriate.
The reason why the navy wanted to send people away in a hurry, Li Xingchen certainly knew what they meant. The navy was naturally worried that after a big battle, he would only have the merit of artillery cover, and when the time came to reward him, he would naturally not be rewarded.
What happened to my family?
Whether it's the navy or the navy, now they are running rampant on the water, and they feel a bit lonely and seeking defeat, so it is difficult for them to get any great achievements every time. In the last battle of the Southern Expedition, there were so many merits.
Among those who offered rewards, only Qi Xin could be considered to have achieved great merit, and Master Lu accounted for the majority.
Therefore, the navy is also eager to grab some credit in this river-crossing battle. If the war situation continues to develop, and further north, there will naturally be very few places where the navy can be used. Except for the big rivers, almost all the areas in the north
It is no longer difficult to find a time when the navy needs to be dispatched with great fanfare. This mentality is actually the same as the navy's insistence on going ashore to fight alongside the army during the Battle of Lujong.
Li Xingchen did not object to the army and navy competing for credit, and the three armies served their lives. As a commander-in-chief, he should be happy to see this.
However, this competition for credit should be based on the fact that the soldiers will not die in vain. Otherwise, the three armies will not use their lives, but lose their lives in vain.
"As long as it can provide artillery support, then the Navy's contribution will not be small." Li Xingchen said directly, "There will be a dedicated person in the army who will be responsible for reviewing and judging how many enemy crossbowmen and how many large-scale missiles the Navy suppressed.
offensive and defensive equipment, these will become your credit. If you can find a way to directly demolish the enemy's water fortress, it will be a great achievement. When I calculate my credit, I will definitely not only rely on the number of heads, but also your eyes.
You can’t be too narrow-minded.”
Li Xingchen didn't speak too harshly, but he could clearly detect the dissatisfaction in his words. Jiang Xian and others hurriedly handed over their hands to apologize.
Li Xingchen waved his hand and asked them to get up. He stretched out his hand to hold on to the railing and looked towards the battlefield ahead. The flag of the Han army had been planted on the enemy's water stronghold. But in Li Xingchen's view, this red flag seemed to be contaminated with something that should not be contaminated.
of blood.
A good man who is a strong man cannot die in vain because of his struggle for merit.
In the Qin and Han Dynasties, calculating merit relied on the number of people's heads. However, in the Han Dynasty, with the development of firearms and other equipment, relying solely on this naturally became unreliable. The muskets were okay, but if the artillery blasted over and no bones were left, then
Whose head is it?
Therefore, the method of calculating the merits of the Han Dynasty has begun to undergo appropriate reforms. Originally, the Han Dynasty did not only rely on the number of heads to determine the merits, but the number of heads is an irreplaceable standard after all. The merits of the logistics team are not considered by most people.
In my heart, it is still incomparable to the actual number of heads.
Now Li Xingchen is more inclined to give credit to the group or to a prominent part of the group through the results achieved by the group. For example, if an artillery control team can destroy an enemy's archery tower, then the credit will be divided equally among everyone, and
The number of heads is correct. Even Li Xingchen has to admit that to this day, the number of heads is still the simplest and most convenient unit of measurement. However, the number of heads now does not simply refer to the number of human heads, but also the number of prisoners.
It counts.
Even for a big man who lacks people, prisoners are more important than human heads. One prisoner can hold one and a half heads.
"Clean up the battlefield, I want to meet the soldiers who have made meritorious service in this exercise." Li Xingchen said with a smile.
Every exercise is also a simulated actual battle, and of course meritorious soldiers should be commended.
Jiang Xian and others hurriedly agreed. His Majesty had clearly stated the method of calculating credit, which naturally made them relieved.
Your Majesty always does what he says, so you can rest assured.
Chapter 1618 Palace Examination Questions
On the third day after Li Xingchen inspected the naval drill, he took a boat directly from Wuxing across Taihu Lake to Jinling County, and then along the canal to Jingkou and transferred to Jiankang Prefecture.
This time he left Jiankang Prefecture and traveled to the south of the Yangtze River. Thanks to the convenience of transportation by canal waterway, it only took more than ten days in total.
More than ten days were enough for Li Xingchen to observe some problems. First, during his inspection, Li Xingchen started to try to develop hybrid rice using Wu County as a pilot. He also noticed from the Wuxing Navy drills that the Han Dynasty's merit calculation method needed to be implemented as soon as possible.
Change.
These two points have been personally taken care of by His Majesty, and will naturally be implemented soon.
After Li Xingchen returned to Jiankang Mansion, there was a peaceful scene in Jiankang Mansion. Tang Yishun and others still had the ability to follow Xiao Gui and Cao Sui. However, there was one thing that they naturally did not dare to make a decision on, so they asked Li Xingchen to make a decision.
That is the topic of the palace examination that will be held ten days later.
The previous Qiu Wei topic was drawn up by Li Xingchen himself. Of course, no one dared to be arbitrary in this imperial examination.
"I will see you, Your Majesty!" Tang Yishun, the Minister of the Imperial Government, came together with the Minister of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel, naturally to discuss the topics of the palace examination.
"I'm not in the capital, so I'm going to thank you all for your hard work." Li Xingchen smiled slightly.
"I serve your Majesty. It is my duty and there is no hard work. Your Majesty, as a great lord, travels to the south of the Yangtze River to guide changes, which is beyond the reach of other ministers. I look up to your Majesty's back and respect you." Jiang, the Minister of Rites, said.
He said hurriedly.
Zong Yuanrao, the Minister of Civil Affairs, and Tang Yishun looked at each other. This guy was really good at flattering people. As the sinner of Nanchen's country's subjugation that everyone wanted to beat, Mr. Jiang certainly knew that his popularity was mostly due to his integrity.
The imperial court of the Han Dynasty was already in such bad condition that no further efforts were needed to save it, so he simply stopped saving it.
When His Majesty put him in charge of the Ministry of Rites, he was attracted by his literary talents, but Mr. Jiang simply hugged Li Xinchen's thigh and resolutely became Li Xinchen's lackey. If Li Xinchen didn't want him anymore, then he would probably be replaced in a few days.
Those who had long disliked him were thrown into prison.
The more villainous he is, the more relieved Li Xingchen is, because all he can guarantee is his life. If he makes any mistakes now, Yushitai and his ilk will already be keeping an eye on him.
, will definitely put him to death without hesitation, so although Mr. Jiang is lucky enough to survive, he can only walk on thin ice. Naturally, he dare not do any of the things he has done before, with a look on his face every day.
With a smile on his face, he still looked like the arrogant sycophant he once was. He looked like a harmless little white rabbit.
But he couldn't forget the job of flattering, which was almost his "own" job.
Li Xingchen was noncommittal. Although this guy's ability to flatter people was not very lovable, he had to do what he had to do and what he had succeeded in. Li Xingchen knew very well in his heart that he did not need such people to stand up and summarize for himself or exaggerate. However,
He is a man who wears a lot of clothes, but cannot flatter him. This guy only flatters a few words, so it is not easy for Li Xingchen to scold him.
What's more important is that this guy really has some skills, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to stand out among the many courtiers in the East Palace. Although his ability to govern the country is completely lacking, he can still teach etiquette and law.
He can do what he can, especially since his own cultural level is relatively high, so even if everyone is dissatisfied with his behavior, this can still convince everyone.
Otherwise, given the temperament of veterans such as Zong Yuanrao, Mr. Jiang would never be allowed to stand here.
"Your Majesty, I'm here this time to ask what your Majesty plans to use as a question for the imperial examination?" Tang Yishun said directly, not intending to give Mr. Jiang, a flatterer, another chance to flatter him. "I have already listed some of the questions.
, please take a look at it, Your Majesty.”
Yuan Dashe turned around to write the memorial, and Li Xingchen flipped through it.
Without Li Xingchen's explicit instructions, of course these questions cannot be too advanced. Most of them can be said to be quite satisfactory, either from the Four Books and the Five Classics, or from "Xunzi", "Huainanzi" and other books that are relatively recognized in the world today.
A relatively high level work.
Of course, the imperial examinations of the Han Dynasty did not select scholars by stereotypes, and the range of topics to choose from was naturally wider. However, based on the ideas of these ministers, they certainly would not choose poems and ballads as topics, or they would just focus on these classics.
"This is a moderate question. It can be for spring or autumn, but it is not suitable for the palace examination." Li Xingchen closed the memorial and said in a deep voice, "I plan to ask the candidates for the palace examination to discuss how to govern a state."
Tang Yishun and others were a little surprised and looked at Li Xingchen.
How to say this?
Li Xingchen said directly: "Those who enter the palace examination will later be promoted to the imperial court or serve as officials in other counties or even prefectures. They should teach poetry, calligraphy and etiquette. These are the abilities that a scholar should have. I don't need to use the palace examination to examine them."
With all their abilities, what I need is to use the palace examination to see if they really have the ability to be the parents of the people and to enlighten the people from their ignorance."
Tang Yishun and others were thoughtful. This was a question they had never considered before.
Whether it is the nine-level Zhongzheng system, the imperial examination system, or the earlier filial piety and integrity system, in the final analysis, it is to examine a person's moral integrity. This person has a good character, a good background, or good writing ability, and has sufficient insights.
, then you will naturally stand out.
But what Li Xingchen wanted to examine was the ability of these people to actually do things and solve problems. When it comes to their origins, everyone is different, and when it comes to talking eloquently, who can get to this point, who doesn't have his own concerns?
But it would be a bit of a waste if we just ask them to talk and write some false and empty things, such as how to govern the country and how to serve the country. Everyone has the ability to talk big words, but the ability to truly face and deal with problems
But not everyone has it.
Therefore, Li Xingchen's intention was to give a practical example and see how those people who were destined to become Han parents and officials in the future solved these practical problems.
After pondering for a moment, Li Xingchen said directly: "Today there is a county with less than ten thousand people and a lot of wasteland. The county has the advantage of mountains, rivers and lakes. However, it has been isolated from the outside world for many years. The people's customs are different. There are no workshops in the county and there is not much business and trade. Let me ask the candidates, what is this?
Assuming that the county is the governor of the county, how should it be governed if it is limited to five years?"
Tang Yishun and others nodded at the same time, but Zong Yuanrao spoke first and said: "Your Majesty is right, but most of these scholars are clothed and white-bodied, so if they are suddenly ordered to govern counties, is it beyond their capabilities?"
The old man's meaning is very obvious. Your Majesty, you have to consider the reality. What experience do these young people have?
"That's what Mr. Zong has thought about." Mr. Jiang said. He is a staunch emperor.