Chapter 236: New-style Army
On July 6th, after Wang Feihao submitted the battle report; Wu Zaixing conducted a detailed statistical summary of the combat personnel situation in each group and submitted a summary.
This summary pointed out the most core problem currently facing the Hao Army.
Wu Zaixing: “In decisive battles under ten thousand men scale, Hao Army commanders have very poor ability to coordinate combinations of various troop types.”
In the Chong Army’s newest battle tactics, there are no invincible troop types; pure ground giant soldier figurines can be easily taken down by blasting spearmen.
In battle number 5, when attacking the Hao Army’s seven giant soldier figurines, two hundred blasting spearmen resolved the giant soldier figurines at the cost of eight dead and twenty wounded.
In anti-armor combat, every fallen soldier will receive twenty merit points, and their heirs will directly reach the position of Wu Family imperial clan personal soldiers; in the Zhen State now, there are plenty of people willing to hold blasting guns and wear down the Hao Army’s giant soldiers this way, because it is really too cost-effective.
Wu Zaixing made notes on the battle encountered by Wang Feihao: If the Hao Army had had aerial giant beasts at that time, such as sky large units like Haotian Lions and Tai Yue Luan, to interfere with the Chong Army’s dragon horse cavalry; to the point that the Chong Army’s dragon horse cavalry could not timely and effectively use noisy bombs to isolate the armored soldiers charging in coordination from behind; then the Chong Army’s spear troops targeting the Hao Army would be driven by the armored soldiers from behind and unable to exert their effect.
Wang Feihao interrogated the captured captives and obtained this intelligence: Hao Army vanguard general Fang Sidao does not like “Tai Yue Luan and Haotian Lions”.
Of course, a single phrase of “not liking” is not enough to explain the truth, just like women saying “not suitable” in blind dates, which is actually them calculating a big account in their hearts and feeling they would lose. But they do not want to say it explicitly, otherwise it would make them seem “too calculating”, which does not fit the noble lady persona.
Xuan Chong had said: Hao Army command stratum originates from noble family recommendations, and they also care about personas. So they often use “not liking” to cover up their “inability”.
Wu Zaixing seized on this point for analysis: “We believe he cannot manage logistics well. The birdcage facilities and pottery figurine facilities needed for Tai Yue Luan and Haotian Lions are two technical routes, and the logistics also belong to two separate lines.”
As a capable person, Fang Sidao is clearly more adept at managing pottery soldiers, able to achieve rapid response; as the vanguard launching attacks on the Chong Army’s southern route, the maintenance cost of pottery soldiers under his command is the lowest.
Similar situations exist in the Chong Army, where Guiche has always been criticized by other corps, as its leaked corrosive gas makes stables unable to accommodate other cavalry.
In multiple Chong Army drills, coordination between Guiche troops and other troops has always been a problem.
Wu Zaixing has a Guiche troop under him as a trump card, capable of being thrown into battle at any time; but due to the logistics regulations for raising Guiche conflicting with other departments, this troop is currently concentrated in one formation.
Other various army corps tend to use Mu Luan, with maintenance systems like wooden ox and flowing horse, to supplement air combat power.
…Hao Army system is backward…
First, it must be affirmed that the Hao State has capable people; but the capable people under the Hao Army cannot collaborate together. The “scholar” spirit has made aloofness mainstream.
That is, in great wars of thousands, often due to commanders emphasizing certain points, there will be “disliked” troop types, thereby creating vulnerabilities.
But the Chong Army is different; even though there are specialties, the Chong Army analyzes enemy objectives before battle, sets up a combat plan targeting the enemy, and in this plan, different troop types will sometimes be urgently drawn together for coordinated combat.
For example, in Wang Feihao’s this battle, the key link of firing noisy bombs was the dragon horse regiment, which does not belong to Wang Feihao’s firearm group, but was temporarily drawn; —so in combat under ten thousand scale, the Chong Army, due to organizational advantages, is better at coordinating multiple troop types than the Hao Army.
…Wu Zaixing’s this military summary is high-level and very timely…
On the 7th, after seeing Wu Zaixing’s article, Xuan Chong nodded silently, inevitably thinking of the White Eagle from his previous life.
The situation under him was similar: navy, army, air force, all aiming to control their own branch independently, making their own combat power invincible.
The navy no longer targets other countries’ navies, starting from sea to land, beginning to suppress the air.
The army stubbornly refuses to retire the “Warthog attack aircraft”, forcibly retaining its own aviation staffing quota.
But the result is: all aiming at how to bully weak enemies; while for military projects essential when encountering strong enemies, there are “uninterested” types.
In other words, those projects needing “high system support”, due to infighting among navy, army, air force and other departments, only stay at ppt level. And they start hoping for “single aircraft”, “single ship”, “single vehicle” to show their high technology innovation advantages.
In summary, this is top-level lacking decision-making power; while below all emphasize their “superiority after independence”, turning into “each expounding separately” in execution, with no existence of “resolutely obey, cooperate, support, perfect” these terms.
Any sub-department of the Rice Army, with the technology and military spending resources mastered within its own scope of authority, is only enough to suppress a medium country without mishaps; while facing larger countries, due to no one guaranteeing accountability rewards and punishments for accidents in “coordination processes between various factions”, it loses planning.
While the correct strategy is, the top architecture sets a total strategic objective, then breaks down the total strategy into multiple sub-objectives, letting below execute.
Xuan Chong’s previous life army was like this, taking the Rice Army as the total objective. Under this total objective.
Navy receives the sub-objective of confronting enemy fleets in far seas.
Air force receives the sub-objective of seizing electromagnetic superiority and air superiority.
Missile troops to strike strategic denial, destroying enemy’s key nodes.
Each service branch, when receiving objectives, knows from the start “alone they cannot accomplish anything”, only by cooperating together can it succeed.
Returning to the present, Zhao Cheng’s ability to integrate internal factions is too poor, that is, too many factions of capable people who joined under him. To the point of naturally each having their own minds, not good at letting others compensate for their “dislikes”. But each thinks they can succeed alone.
If all under Zhao Cheng’s tent, everything dispatched by Zhao Cheng; but now out, they are individuals each with “dislikes” (shortcomings).
On Xuan Chong’s side, after teaching students and subordinates under him, the goal set from beginning to end is only one: “defeat military strategists like Zhao Cheng”, and instill that this task cannot be completed by any single non-commissioned officer, requiring cooperation.
Actually, Zhao Cheng cannot be blamed…
Originally, in the old Da Yao system, war was just simplified combinations of “giant soldiers”, “cavalry”, “infantry” three troop types. —Before the Haotian Dragon Clan arrived, Da Yao’s various military strategists were still revolving around the most primitive version.
But a monster like the Zhen State appeared; since conquering the southern border and expanding the corps, Xuan Chong brought out the “involution” characteristic, deconstructing the abilities of “geniuses” like Zhao Cheng. Then after deconstruction, allocating to every member of the team, himself in the center mastering “reward and punishment”.
This is the killer move specifically countering geniuses! In theory, as long as coordination is good, completely able to use “mediocre talents” to break through everything.
…Xuan Chong has always been preparing to defeat Zhao Cheng…
After the Yao Capital trip, Xuan Chong recruited a batch of students, already preparing to push various complex military links to the students.
Then thinking: students’ blood labor needs blood reward; if distributing blood reward in the old mode, i.e., enfeoffing students to localities, students later become noble families and powerful clans. Thoughts start “feudalizing”, splitting the modernization cooperation system he expects to build.
So must carry out colonial reclamation, set up urban centralized workshop industry, distribute wealth after urbanization to his students as blood reward.
Ultimately, to better distribute “city interests”, he created the modern warlord party.
Just like this, after Xuan Chong set a goal to defeat the “top military strategist”, and discovered Zhao Cheng’s ability might be “his own talent” unable to confront, thus left foot stepping on right foot, unknowingly advancing the version.
Before version advance, Zhao Cheng’s troops were the ceiling; for Xuan Chong who can only be considered “diligent”, the “ceiling” is out of reach.
But now after version advance, standing in the new era, suddenly discovering old era troops have problems everywhere.
Xuan Chong organized Wu Zaixing’s report, annotated and highlighted the important parts, then distributed to generals of frontline various departments.
Xuan Chong, in the name of the Staff Department, in a suggestive tone: “Can consider appropriately, using small bites and slow chewing, to replace large-scale decisive battles.”
That is, in encounter battles where both sides’ military investment is in the “four thousand to eight thousand” range, Chong Army organization is reasonable and various services coordination degree is good, having great advantage over Hao Army.
After Xuan Chong confirmed this point, he decided to, within this troop use range, one bite at a time grind off Zhao Cheng this “veteran general” chess piece, along with all the “chariot, horse, cannon”.
…Under Heaven turns…
July 8th, the war situation between Yongzhou and Xingzhou has already settled like dust, Su Ming completed the thorough annihilation of Hao Army in the two prefectures.
Relative to the Xia Prefecture frontline using stabbing blasting guns to see blood, the Xingzhou frontline was top giant soldiers clashing.
This was the most shocking to Under Heaven, because the killing intent clash of giant soldier groups made northern mountains and rivers interact and respond. After the two great wars ended, on the Zhen State side mountains lush with vegetation, while on the Later Hao side those mountain ranges, though summer, the vegetation was somewhat withered and yellow.
Su Ming in one battle blasted clean the Hao State’s last drop of alien force bloodline. In the future, after War Kui is sealed, its accumulated killing intent can be used to suppress mountains and rivers.
Under Heaven people tirelessly discuss the Xing Yong campaign; but in the Zhen State, on the sand table beside Xuan Chong, a crowd of staff officers are organizing information on the current southern battlefield, “archiving” the northern intelligence.
Because in the view of the many soldiers beside Xuan Chong, the strategy in Yongzhou is very steady; even if Ao Guang City is lost, the Hao State still cannot break into Yongzhou. What’s more, the military strength in Su Ming’s hands is three times that of northern Xingzhou, after the encirclement annihilation momentum is set, it is impossible for accidents to occur.
Now the entire Staff Department’s gaze is concentrated on Zhao Cheng’s this group.
“Report, Zhao Cheng has entered Ji Prefecture, collecting food and grass along the Su River line” — on the sand table it can be seen that Zhao Cheng shed his shell like a golden cicada, escaping quite fast. While scouts report that in the abandoned military supplies, there are no armor and weapons, evidently Zhao Cheng maintained considerable combat power.
From this it can be inferred that Zhao Cheng entering Ji Prefecture has considerable say, not a figurehead like the Tong Zheng Emperor, that can be controlled by the Yan Family.
After hearing the report, Xuan Chong nodded, thus picked up tea preparing to wait. Two hours later came southern scouts, also bringing more military intelligence.
“Many prefectures at the eastern border of Xia Prefecture have carried out military mobilization, but no signs of military support for Zhen Hao have appeared.”
“Letter from Wu Zaixing, resolve all remaining military forces in Xia Prefecture within five days.”
After Xuan Chong refilled the tea, seeming to have drunk too much water, while draining in the urine bucket outside the military tent, he continued to the staff officers: “Send message to Wu Juwang, have him prepare materials needed for Xia Prefecture re-production; Under Heaven can be fought slowly, but this year must military reclamation, this is the most urgent.”
Due to ideology problems, for the Zhen State to pacify Under Heaven by proclamation is very difficult. Sects, Confucian and other various forces are also creating resistance to the Zhen State’s pacify Under Heaven by proclamation route!
“Pa!” Xuan Chong slapped his thigh: “I never thought of pacifying Under Heaven by proclamation anyway. White rice, given to local strongmen for disaster relief, what a waste.”
…Rear lines start making trouble again…
With Chong Army victorious on various battlefields, a voice rises in the Zhen State territory, demanding the Chong Lord (Xuan Chong): “Sheathe the saber soldiers, open granaries to relieve the people, benefit Under Heaven.”
These two days often have immortals appearing in Chong Land, then intercepting locals, self-proclaiming “you met a noble person”, expounding this ideology. —Shen Gongbao’s routine.
And in Xing, Xia, Chen, Xiang and other places, these areas affected by the Zhen-Hao war, the noble families and great clans within also start “accumulating their own merit”, starting to mobilize connections trying to pass messages to Xuan Chong. Trying to exchange “support” for Xuan Chong’s bribe price. “Disaster relief” is the project these scholar-officials want to negotiate.
Of course for Xuan Chong, it is not no relief, but principled disaster relief; relief with planning, with principles.
Just like in Xuan Chong’s previous life, resolutely cannot negotiate environmental protection, peace, women’s rights, animal protection with certain signboard organizations. These problems to truly solve, need to implement with one’s own planning, with principles.
Traditional disaster relief method is how to relieve? For Xia Prefecture this situation, allocate fifty thousand shi of food and grass is done.
Xuan Chong thinks: “This is nowhere near enough, Xia Prefecture populace conservatively estimated four hundred thousand people. According to the off-season situation, local people even relying on various famine-passing classics things, four hundred thousand people conservatively need four hundred thousand shi.
In fact, Xuan Chong prepared one million shi grain to swallow Xia Prefecture.
According to those immortals and sects’ proposed relief methods, Chong Army takes down one prefecture, takes out fifty thousand shi grain to give local populace, seemingly able to relieve small half Under Heaven. So-called great merit.
But! Xuan Chong: As a governor, disaster relief not only must follow morals, but also look at output, and subsequent series of results.
Xuan Chong to Wu Lu: “How is fifty thousand shi grain done? Local noble families and great clans survive on this one mouthful of grain, then first year limited recovery of farming production; by second year, third year, local magnates catch their breath, start rebuilding water conservancy, re-increasing field acreage; but these reclaimed wasteland, we cannot measure; these noble families and great clans after disaster become united as one, we even less can handle. Local personnel matters and agriculture economy rights allocation, all firmly held by these great clans.”
Eastern farming civilization is not Rome ocean civilization.
Ocean civilization, after ports this “basic wealth” are burned down, cannot recover; while farming civilization even if population reduces to one tenth, agriculture production materials still there, dozens of households can recover population in three generations.
So fifty thousand shi grain is such a rescue method. Zhao Cheng’s side operates even harsher: starve to death a few disobedient families, ten thousand shi grain to loyalists.
After several great campaigns now, Under Heaven seeing Zhao Cheng’s military strength cannot beat Zhenzhou, all feel chaotic times have come to themselves; and looking at Under Heaven, only Zhen State now has plenty grain. (If not for Zhen State’s troops strong, this would be forcibly eaten big household)
These noble families and powerful clans have all prepared to compromise with Xuan Chong, of course compromise bottom line limited to acknowledging Xuan Chong as Zhen State state lord; but once Xuan Chong dares touch their local core power, they still want to fight Xuan Chong to the death, even prepare ultimately in a few years to produce a former dynasty noble to rebel.
But now the situation is, small half Under Heaven’s noble families prepare to talk with Xuan Chong, but Xuan Chong has not prepared to get on the negotiation table! —Wu Xiao Que has that bit of “class struggle” resoluteness. In this aspect cannot have sympathy.
Heaven and earth big, you biggest? Put down contradictions save you, then talk with you? Noble families think too beautifully, after so many years mastering classics morals definition rights, too arrogant.
On Wu Zaixing’s side, the large number of captives rounded up have already seamlessly integrated, edited into reclamation teams; next entering entire Xia Prefecture, all local people can also register household join reclamation teams, after registering lists in production brigades receive grain.
Only local noble families have no qualification, cannot rely on face to demand any shi grain from Zhen State state treasury!
On Wu Juwang’s side working tightly. Receiving local people organize production teams, local able-bodied men all recorded on lists, simultaneously large-scale measure all reclaimable land. Once plan all abandoned land; even if not finish reclaiming first year, this year prioritize reclaim land, first give families with elderly and young, second year after connecting water channels, continue reclaim fields, then allocate.
In famine year, who masters grain allocation, who has qualification to decide land.
Deed? You don’t even have grain to feed yourself, cannot use grain to mobilize other relatives, on what basis say this land is yours?
Xuan Chong: In short, in places occupied by Zhen State, no situation of noble families controlling local production materials.
After Da Yao shattered, Daoist Scholars expect on shattered Da Yao to appear new world order more moral than Yao rule, more satisfying to them these “common people”.
However Daoist Scholars calculate morals, do not calculate five grains and economy. In Da Yao old system collapse, they extracted their perfectly moral selves. —Their internal economic problems covered by “benevolence and filial piety”, like a painkiller, making Confucianism increasingly into pseudolearning not solving problems.
In great famine year, Confucian strongmen hide in manors, throw out self-cultivating farmers, small households, distant branches, to bear “allocation insufficient” problems.
But now boomerang comes: former Yao collapsed, defending against outsiders war fought too poorly; but after Hao chaos pacified, Under Heaven has no righteous war. You these self-gilding country parasites, time to face reality.
Facing Under Heaven’s current public fervor, Xuan Chong humbly responds: “My virtue is thin, can only benefit governed people; Under Heaven’s hunger, Under Heaven’s great talents solve. Various moral pedants with thick virtue please first.”
