The setting sun was like blood, and the fiery red clouds were like flames, burning the sky red.
The low sound of the horn echoed in the military camp, and wisps of smoke rose. Outside the camp, on the temporary school field, groups of soldiers with bright uniforms were putting away their flags and drums, lining up neatly, and returning to the military camp in an orderly manner.
Except during rapid marches, even in bad weather such as wind and rain, drills cannot be delayed. Sometimes, when encountering such circumstances, the amount and time of drills will be increased.
Continuous and meticulous training is the fundamental reason why Qingzhou develops elites.
Of course, the price of daily practice is also very high.
It’s not that the time is wrong, just like athletes need to warm up before a formal competition, proper training can help maintain their condition even before a battle. What’s more, the time for the official decisive battle cannot be predicted yet, so canceling routine drills so early,
Whether it can save physical strength is still open to question, but it will definitely increase the psychological burden on the soldiers and aggravate their tension, which is not worth the gain.
The main factor restricting frequent drills is the consumption of various strategic materials.
The first is food. When the amount of activity increases, the consumption of the human body increases. Generally speaking, going out for training is equivalent to wartime. Soldiers must be given at least double rations. If the soldiers are not full, the officers will shout slogans
, train them hard and wait for a cold arrow in the back.
If you want to maintain a high fighting spirit, it is best to give rewards during drills, not only to soldiers, but also to officers at all levels. If you do not receive rewards for outstanding performance, there will be a significant increase in accidents during the next drill, even if your performance is average.
You should give some appropriately, otherwise accidents will still increase.
If the army's sense of honor reaches a certain level, rewards may be reduced or reduced, but food must be ensured no matter what. Grains alone are not enough, and meat must be eaten from time to time. The consumption of this item alone,
It was enough to scare the princes.
Last but not least, training will inevitably lead to the consumption of combat readiness materials. Not to mention bows and arrows, armor and weapons will definitely be damaged, and all of them will need to be repaired. Even the scarecrow used as a target will cost money or labor. It doesn’t matter what kind of materials it is.
It may be conjured out of thin air, but it will always cost a certain amount of money.
Therefore, whether an army is elite or not can be concluded from its training frequency; the training frequency depends on whether the logistics supply is adequate.
Otherwise, how can we say that fighting a war is about fighting for the economy?
If you want to train an elite soldier, it is not enough to inspire morale. Mental strength can play a winning role. It is possible to have an inspiration occasionally, but it cannot become the norm. If the material conditions cannot keep up, then train an elite soldier.
This kind of thing basically only exists in legends or novels.
If you want to train an elite army, the most important thing is financial strength.
The martial arts of the Han Dynasty reached its peak in the Hanwu era, and its root lies in the accumulation of Wenjing's rule. With such accumulation, Liu Che had the capital to accumulate strength, conquer Weihuo, and train an invincible army.
He then pursued the enemy to the north, swept across the desert, and won the great martial arts of the Han Dynasty. Without these, how could he train troops in Shanglinyuan? How could he talk about the future?
It is precisely because of the high cost of training elite soldiers that Wang Yu had to reduce the size of Qingzhou's army. In fact, if he had not raided various princes in Luoyang before, relying solely on the savings of the Wang family and relatives in Taishan, and the output of Qingzhou,
He could not maintain the existing 20,000 troops. Otherwise, Wang Kuang would not have sold iron at the beginning, but he could only recruit 500 strong crossbows.
To raise and train troops, one should use gold and silver to destroy them.
The civil servants in Qingzhou were complaining about this, and privately they had to be thankful that the lord finally kept his sense and did not resort to violence. It was not until the autumn harvest that they felt relieved, but that was also temporary, because the war was still going on, and it was hard to grit one's teeth.
Gotta hold on tight.
Of course, the tips that should be done are still done.
"...This year's autumn grain storage has been basically completed. The people in charge of this matter are Guo Zini and Wang Shuzhi. Excluding the consumption and seizures since the beginning of the war, there are more than 1.42 million dendrobium of grain in the warehouse..."
Wang Yu touched his chin, looked at his internal affairs manager with relief, and answered ambiguously: "Not bad?"
After deducting the portion retained by the people, more than one million grains can be collected. Of course, it is incomparable to large counties like Jizhou and Yanzhou, but for Qingzhou, which has been in dilapidated state after repeated wars, it should be considered quite ideal.
.
However, Tian Feng's expression was very serious, which made Wang Yu unhappy.
"So far, it's pretty good." Tian Feng was not favored by Yuan Shao because his speaking style was too straightforward. He rarely considered the emperor's mood and only cared about the emperor's face. When he arrived in Qingzhou, under Wang Yu's connivance,
In other words, with appreciation, this characteristic of his has a tendency to be carried forward.
"If the war ends here, then the situation is indeed very good. As long as there is no major natural disaster in the coming year, the grain in the warehouse will be enough for the army and people of Qingzhou for the whole year. Even if there are some setbacks and some shortcomings, the salt administration and the government are getting better.
All kinds of commerce can make up for it. It is inevitable to enter the virtuous circle you mentioned, my lord, but..."
Hearing Tian Feng's change of topic, Wang Yu also patted his forehead. He knew that Tian Feng was not here to praise his virtues.
"Is it possible that if the war continues, we may be unable to make ends meet?"
"My lord is wise." Tian Feng's praise was flawless in terms of etiquette, but it was difficult to say how much respect it contained.
"If Feng's calculation is correct, the autumn grain, plus the seizures from several battles, especially the seizures in the Battle of Chiping, our army's total income should exceed 2.4 million! In other words, in the past few months, alone
Our army's consumption of food and grass is close to one million!" Tian Feng's expression became more serious.
"The expenditure on soldiers' armor is not bad. Except for the paper armor, the seizures and consumption are basically the same. However, the tens of thousands of paper armor and preparations for sea trade have already eliminated the many losses caused by the Mi family's salt policy and paper trade.
The income has been wiped out. Now Youzhou has too much to take care of itself. If the sea trade with Liaodong cannot be developed in time, the expenses in the coming year may be very tight."
Tian Feng directly listed a large series of figures, which vividly illustrates the seriousness of the current situation.
"Is that so..." Wang Yu started to have a headache.
He is a special soldier, not an accountant. He has no sensitivity to numbers, and has no experience at all in the details of internal affairs. Of course, although Tian Feng’s words are not pleasant, on the other hand, his words are also very reliable and will never be alarmist.
Or things like deceiving superiors and concealing inferiors. He said that the logistics pressure is great, which means it is really great.
Fighting is really a loss-making business! Wang Yu sighed in his heart, these are still victorious battles. If he loses one or two games, the pension and the cost of regrouping, Qingzhou can't afford to take it all in at once.
ah?
Wang Yu asked in confusion: "It's strange, how come it costs so much?"
"There is a saying in the Art of War: Those who make good use of soldiers will no longer serve in the army, and the food will not last for three years. They are used for the country, because the food is given to the enemy, so the army will have enough food." Tian Feng quoted from scriptures and responded fluently: "The Lord implements benevolent government.
Except for the seizures on the battlefield, not a single drop of the civilian population was touched, and the turnover of grain and grass was all carried from Qingzhou. With tens of thousands of troops out there, how could it not be a huge expense?"
He spread his hands and said: "Before the shooting was heard, the Yulin and Yulin armies had not yet come out. The grain supply for Hebei's military management was 27,363 hu of dendrobium per month, as well as salt, livestock, and wild rice. All of them remained high.
At present, Qingzhou's troops are all in Hebei, and they have to supply 20,000 troops from Youzhou, as well as more than 20,000 Yanzhou troops captured in the Battle of Chiping, so the cost will naturally be huge."
"I was supposed to convince people with virtue, but couldn't I be wrong?" Wang Yu was depressed.
Gongsun Zan was very poor, and he was also a master who paid attention to using food and grass to defeat the enemy. If he did not provide food and grass, Tian Kai would have to prepare it by himself. The method of preparation was nothing more than searching among the people. This was the tacit practice of the princes. From the Spring and Autumn Period,
It continues to this day, no wonder Tian Kai is so cruel.
Wang Yu is a very particular person, and of course he will not do anything to his own people. Although Qinghe and other counties were Yuan Shao's territory not long ago and were considered enemy territory, they are still Chinese people after all, and they really cannot do this to the enemy because of food.
Not only could he not take action himself, but he could not just watch his allies act recklessly, so he could only give Tian Kai an extra piece of money and food.
In this way, his compassion was fulfilled, but the loss was great. In a sense, he lost his dignity for the sake of face.
Of course he would not regret this. Like Dong Zhuo in history who forcibly moved the capital, Cao Cao massacred the city, and forced soldiers to surrender, he could do nothing.
Of course, they each have their own reasons. Dong Zhuo plundered Luoyang for money and food, and moved the capital out of strategic considerations to avoid the enemy. Cao Cao massacred the city in Xuzhou because Xuzhou was rich and he wanted to plunder money and food to develop his own territory.
After the Battle of Guandu, he was afraid of the rebellion of Hebei soldiers who were several times larger than his own army, so he massacred them all.
During the Later Han Dynasty, the population of the Central Plains dropped sharply, which was caused by the brutal actions of heroes like Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao.
Wang Yu cannot unify the world without fighting. This magnificent civil war will eventually go to the end. But the difference is that he has a bottom line and will not extend the butcher's knife to his own people.
Now that Tian Feng said this, he naturally felt uncomfortable.
"What's good from above will be the same below! My lord, who has a benevolent heart and wields a sword, is the best candidate to end the troubled times. How dare Feng slander him?" Tian Feng bowed and apologized, explaining: "Feng is just discussing the matter. According to the facts,
It's just a true report, but..." As he said that, there was a look on his face that he was hesitant to speak.
Wang Yu asked curiously: "If Yuan Hao has something to say, why don't you speak out?"
"If it's possible, my lord, it's best to make plans early." Naturally, the topic that made Tian Feng stop talking would not be too easy. He just heard him say in a deep voice: "Now Jizhou's strength has been greatly weakened.
In two or three years, there should not be much of a threat to Qingzhou. Your strategic purpose of moving north has been achieved. It would be a good thing if we could suspend the war."
"Negotiating peace? Now?" Wang Yu was immediately startled, feeling that this proposal was unbelievable and unbelievable, "Yuan Hao, you also know about the last plan. If it goes well, it should be settled by now. Do you think
Yuan Shao will be able to agree to negotiate and withdraw his troops, and pretend that nothing has happened?"
Taking advantage of Liu Bei's uncooperative mentality and Yuan Shao's desire to use superior forces for a decisive battle in Qingyuan, Wang Yu dispatched two generals, Tai Shi Ci and Huang Zhong, and carefully formulated an ambush plan. He discussed with him and completed the plan.
, it is Jia Xu and Tian Feng, both of whom are present now.
If the plan succeeds, Yuan Shao's vanguard, Yan Liang and his three thousand cavalry who arrived in Ping'en five or six days ago but have never been seen, may be doomed.
After suffering such a heavy loss, how could Yuan Shao give up? Even if he did not consider face, based on the actual situation, he had to take advantage of the period of strong military strength to achieve certain results and restore the decline.
The current Jizhou army is composed of many parties. If it is dispersed, Yuan Shao's remaining troops will at most be about the same as the Qing and You alliance armies. If Gongsun Zan is also included, the strength of the alliance army has exceeded that of the entire Jizhou army.
Coming from Bingzhou, you have to pass through the Taihang Mountains. Hanoi is also a place surrounded by enemies. That is to say, Lu Bu and Zhang Yang have a good personal relationship, so the Hanoi army can leave the country for a long time. But now that the Central Plains is fighting, Dong Zhuo has no scruples and is using his troops eastward with all his strength.
No one is sure how the situation in Sili Prefecture will evolve next.
Therefore, for Yuan Shao, the greater the loss, the more he has to fight to the end and call a truce. For him, it is a slow suicide.
Tian Feng responded calmly: "Of course Yuan Shao will not give in easily, but since he has fought all the way to the north, he must not be completely sure. Shao is generous and well-organized, his worries and joys cannot be expressed in his appearance, and his nature is reserved and arrogant.
If you are short of doing good, what you see may not be long-term. If the Lord is willing to make some concessions, this proposal may not be impossible."
"..." Wang Yu pondered for a moment, unable to make a decision. He turned to Jia Xu and asked, "Wen He, what do you think?"
"Yuan Hao's words are not unreasonable."
Jia Xu has always adhered to the principle of not overstepping boundaries and not monopolizing power. He has no reservations about military strategy and intelligence. However, when it comes to matters that have nothing to do with his duties, such as internal affairs and diplomacy, he has always ignored them.
Therefore, when Wang Yu and Tian Feng were discussing internal affairs, he kept silent and silent until Wang Yu asked a question, then he gave a vague answer.
Just such a sentence is of course not enough.
Before he finished speaking, Jia Xu noticed that Wang Yu was staring straight at him, obviously refusing to give up and insisting that he tell him the reason.
With no choice, Jia Xu could only brace himself and analyzed: "Yan Liang's defeat is a shame for Yuan Shao, and it is also a major blow. He was born in a wealthy family and rarely suffered setbacks. I think at this moment, he is very important to me."
The combat power of the army is also quite fearful. However, this time, he has withstood repeated attacks from our army, Youzhou, and Heishan, and he must have lingering fears..."
Wang Yu was a bit big-headed. The truth of what Jia Xu said was good, but it went round and round and did not involve substantive issues. He waved his hands impatiently and asked: "Wen He, please stop beating around the bush, okay?
Just say, do you think Yuan Shao is willing to negotiate peace?"
"Yes, how could you not?" Jia Xu replied firmly.
Seeing the surprised expression on Wang Yu's face, he changed the topic and said: "We invited the Huns to enter, and Jizhou suffered a lot of losses. Every time the Huns stayed for one more day, Jizhou's losses increased. If the war continues, the consequences for Jizhou will be greater."
The damage in Qingzhou and Jizhou was equally unbearable, so Yuan Shao was eager to fight in Qingyuan."
"Both parties will benefit from peace, but if we continue to fight, we will both lose?" Wang Yu understood.
Historically, the war between Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao seemed to have reached this stage. As a result, Fatty Dong was given a chance to succeed. Dong Zhuo saw that both sides were exhausted from the fight, so he simply used the emperor's will to come to Hebei to mediate, and successfully used this matter to establish
However, in the Hebei battle, Yuan Shao should have had a slight upper hand, and it was Gongsun Zan who could not continue.
Now, Fatty Dong has a deep hatred for himself. He wishes that he and Yuan Shao would die together. He will definitely not come forward to mediate. As for the heroes of the Central Plains, they have either participated in this war, or they have already taken sides and have no position to mediate.
.
If there is no one to mediate, whoever takes the initiative to seek peace will definitely be passive.
Thinking of this, Wang Yu's heart suddenly moved.
Jia Xu observed the words and knew that Wang Yu had figured it out, so he said: "It's just a price. Qinghe is too close to Wei County, so it will be less affected by the military disaster. If the lord gives up Qinghe and the battle line returns to the situation before the war, then send envoys there."
Say a few nice words, and even if Yuan Shao is unwilling to do so, he can only go with the flow."
"Hmm." Wang Yu nodded noncommittally and gave a low 'hmm'.
In the original strategic concept, he didn't even want the plains. The Qinghe River was further away than the plains. Capturing it would only lengthen the battle line and increase losses. The more soldiers, the better, and the bigger the territory, the better.
Okay, giving up Qinghe is not an unacceptable choice.
Besides, the mass base of this place has been laid. After Yuan Shao takes over, he will definitely implement the original policy. By then, there will be many people who want his best, and it will not be difficult to make a comeback after a period of recuperation.
The enemy's strength far exceeds our own, so a quick battle or a decisive battle is not advisable. The most important thing is that even if we win this battle, we don't have all the troops to capture Jizhou. If we continue to fight to the end, it will be impossible.
A battle of spirits?
In fact, the situation of this battle is somewhat similar to the Battle of Guandu in history. The comparison of strength and strategic situation are very similar.
Of course, the current Yuan Shao is not as strong as the Yuan Shao in history who sat on the land of four states and had a hundred thousand soldiers under his command. However, Wang Yu's strength is also not as strong as Cao Cao before the Battle of Guandu. In the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao's
Behind you, Liu Bei in Runan is threatening; now in Qingzhou, Zang Ba is also ready to make a move.
This battle is difficult to fight on the one hand, but more importantly, in history, Cao Cao did not immediately enter Hebei after winning the Battle of Guandu. Because he was short of troops and food, he could not win, so
Just wait for Yuan Shao's sons to fight among themselves.
But what about now? Yuan Tan has grown up, and Yuan Xi has reached the age of weakness. However, Yuan Shao’s favored concubine, Liu, comes from the famous Liu family in Guangping County. She is the sister of the famous scholar Liu Shao. She was stepped on by Yuan Shao after he took over Jizhou.
In other words, Yuan Shang, who is competing with Yuan Tan for the throne, is still in his infancy!
If Yuan Shao loses, there will be no scene of competition between the two sons, but it is possible that others will take advantage of him, such as Cao Cao in the near water tower.
"If my lord must fight, the best thing is to fight quickly, lest things change later." Tian Feng reminded with a solemn look: "Yuan Zhi is very scheming, but Zang Ba is also an ordinary person, and he is also a member of the Taishan thieves.
We have many soldiers and horses, and we are familiar with Qingzhou and the terrain of Mount Tai, so we should be a formidable enemy!"
Take it as soon as it's good, Tian Feng still holds a conservative opinion.
Wang Yu looked at Jia Xu and saw that the old fox also nodded slightly in agreement. He made up his mind: "Then let's find someone to go to Yuan Camp. However, you must be prepared to be shameless to Yuan Shao. You two Say, isn’t it?”
Jia Xu and Tian Feng were startled when they heard that there was something in Wang Yu's words.
Jia Xu reacted faster and immediately showed a thoughtful expression, and then there was a trace of amusement in his eyes. Tian Feng felt that there seemed to be something wrong, but there was nothing to say. He was not afraid of trouble, he just came from Qingzhou. Considering the current situation, ending the war as soon as possible is the best strategy. (To be continued. Please search Piaotian Literature, the novel will be better and updated faster!)