Chapter 3303 The Key Is Execution

Chapter 3302 The key is execution

In the history of war, innovation in tactics and equipment is often the key to victory.

Perhaps Cao Xiu did not have any experience of this before, but now he is deeply impressed.

In the early Han Dynasty's conquest process, in fact, most people thought that war was just a question of "how much".

More people fight fewer people, more money fight less money, more strategies fight fewer strategies, but few people would propose innovation in tactics and weapons...

Strictly speaking, this kind of innovation is not absent in Chinese history, but it has been intentionally or unintentionally simplified many times. It has become the "righteousness" of a certain commander or a certain king, or "good leadership". As for these details, it seems not worth worrying about.

After all, if you really care about it, you will find that it is the people who do things, and the blood and sweat are also shed by the people. The people play a decisive role in the war, not just a commander or a king. If there is no people, there is no use for a commander or a king. But how can such a fact be known to these people who know nothing?

Therefore, in the feudal dynasty, the commander is still the most important and the king is the greatest. The gentry repeatedly emphasized that everything is attributed to the leader and the emperor.

Obviously, this statement is good for the gentry.

But war cannot rely on words alone.

Tactics and equipment are undoubtedly very important links in the elements of war.

Tactics are the strategies and means used by the army on the battlefield. It is like a chess game of a wise man. Every step is about life and death, and every move affects the situation.

Equipment is the sword in the hands of soldiers and the material basis for them to defeat the enemy. A handy weapon can often make soldiers more powerful and invincible.

Therefore, the innovation of tactics and equipment is like injecting fresh blood into the army, making it more powerful.

The innovation of tactics is undoubtedly powerful. For example, from competing in chariot formations to riding alone, such as the lower four horses against the upper four horses, and the Wei Wei rescue Zhao, etc., can greatly affect the entire battle situation.

Similarly, the innovation of weapons is also an important factor in victory in war. Ancient weapons have evolved from stone axes and stone knives in the Stone Age to swords and halberds in the Bronze Age, and then to steel armor in the Iron Age. Each innovation of weapons was accompanied by a change in the form of war.

During the Warring States Period, the crossbow manufacturing technology of the Qin State became increasingly sophisticated, greatly enhancing the long-range attack power of the Qin Army; during the Han Dynasty, the advancement of steel smelting technology made the weapons of the Han Army sharper and more durable, thus gaining an advantage on the battlefield against the Xiongnu.

Now Cao Xiu has to face not only a more advanced cavalry army in tactics, but also a more sophisticated cavalry army in equipment, which greatly tests Cao Xiu's wisdom and courage.

What to do, how to fight?

This is the problem that Cao Xiu has considered the most and is 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 the lonely mountain will undoubtedly make Cao's soldiers feel safer, and they can maintain a certain morale and combat effectiveness, while fighting against the cavalry in the wild...

In the temporary camp in the dead of night, under the oil lamp in the tent, Cao Xiu's face looks particularly resolute.

Yes, that's right, resolute.

Because these ordinary Cao soldiers, as well as Cao Xiu's private soldiers, need to see a "resolute" Cao Xiu.

So Cao Xiu will make a steady look, a serious face, and a serious expression, gritting his teeth, so that his facial lines highlight his cheekbones and chin, to form a "resolute" general in the hearts of Cao's soldiers.

But in fact, under his "resolute" face, he is uneasy in his heart.

To undertake a flank attack, a breakthrough, to open up the situation for Cao's army, and even to face the cavalry head-on in the open field, Cao Xiu is under great pressure.

Under this pressure, Cao Xiu thought of a new type of chevaux de frise that could rely on baggage carts.

If this new type of chevaux de frise could be successfully implemented, its unique design could be deployed when the enemy cavalry attacked, and together with the baggage carts, it could build a solid defensive line to protect Cao's soldiers and resist the attack of the cavalry, so that Cao's army could grasp some of the initiative in the battle, and would not be completely led by the flexible cavalry.

"This is the new chevaux de frise."

Cao Xiu pointed to the freshly baked sketch and said.

What?

Three views?

Don't be kidding.

It was already very remarkable that Cao Xiu could roughly draw a sketch.

The children of Shandong gentry, as well as the vast majority of Shandong bureaucrats, would not leave any black and white paper for their subordinates.

These bureaucrats would try their best to avoid putting their requirements into written documents to avoid leaving traceable evidence. They prefer to convey them verbally or in informal occasions.

They would only speak empty words at the meeting, and then put forward specific work requirements in private.

So Cao Xiu was able to give a rough sketch. Although this rough sketch was indeed a bit "rough", it was already precious.

"This..." The general in charge of the rear camp looked at the "rough sketch" with different ink lines and more abstract than concrete, and then looked at Cao Xiu's serious expression, swallowed his saliva, and subconsciously said, "General, this may be difficult to do..."

Is it really difficult to do?

He couldn't even understand the rough sketch, so who knows if it is easy to do?

The rear battalion general said this just to shirk the blame instinctively. If any problem really occurred, he could also say that he had told Cao Xiu beforehand that "it would not be easy to do", so if there was any quality problem, then at least The board will be 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 high 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 my 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 laws and ethics, the ineffectiveness of 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 stared wide-eyed.

"This is a new style of horse-rejection picture drawn 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 just ask 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'll leave this matter to you!" I believe you can do well! Just say whatever you need! I'll do whatever I can for you! You have to know that General Cao personally wants this new horse, and it must be dealt with as soon as possible! This matter is very important, so do it well and do it with your heart! 』

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 him, and report back immediately if anything happens. Do you understand?" 』

The guard understood, "I understand, little one." 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 implemented 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 review the process first, look for every possible mistake made by their subordinates, and conduct in-depth review. On the contrary, if you succeed, then the credit is limited to a narrow scope, and all the details of the process are not important, and it is only due to 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 the 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 go beyond the level to petition and those who go beyond the level to issue orders will be ostracized by the entire officialdom. Therefore, Cao Xiu could only go to the rear camp general, who would then go to the craftsmen under his jurisdiction. Similarly, if the craftsmen had problems, they could 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 an old craftsman who was very good at military equipment couldn't help but scratch his head when he saw Cao Xiu's sketch. Although these craftsmen in Shandong during the Han Dynasty had not yet developed a three-view drawing method, and more of them were still simple one-view drawings, they still felt that they had nowhere to start with Cao Xiu's general and simple pattern.

When several craftsmen met, each had a different opinion.

Some craftsmen feel 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 useful.

"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 results, as expected they were scolded by the general of the rear camp.

"Did I tell you that this was a sketch drawn by General Cao himself and something that General Cao personally requested?" ! Um? ! ” The rear battalion general was furious, “Did I tell you this? Time is tight and the task is heavy. You should work hard to do it?” ! Um? ! 』

"But..." The old craftsman felt wronged and wanted to defend himself.

"But what?" ! ” The rear camp general sneered, “But what are you doing? Um? ! A group of people are talking but not taking action! What's this? This is deliberately slacking off on military affairs! This is intentionally disobeying General Cao’s military orders! Are you too courageous to lose your head? Um? ! 』

"But..." The old craftsman held up the new drawings drawn by the craftsmen in his hand, "Sir..."

"If you still recognize me as your commander, then go to work!" ” The rear battalion general waved his arms and said, “Look, it’s almost midnight. I gave you so much time, but you couldn’t get anything done!” Is this true? ! Um? ! What's this? The picture you drew? What a fool you are! The painting by General Cao shall prevail! General Cao’s picture! understand? Execution, execution is the key! understand? ! If you don't carry out General Cao's orders properly, you will be blamed when the time comes. Don't blame me for being unkind! I've told you everything, why don't you hurry up and do something? ! How long do you want to linger here? Um? ! 』

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 Juma" that the craftsmen of the Houying had built overnight...

When Cao Xiu looked over, he felt a faint pain in his eyeballs, as if he had been pricked by something.

The "New Style Juma" is large and small, with different shapes. Does it look like the sketch drawn by Cao Xiu? If you want to 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's this? "Cao Xiu suppressed his anger and pointed 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 drew in the appearance and frame. As a result, he found that except for the appearance of Juma on the frame, nothing else looked like it.

Are you sure this thing can be pushed?

It was good to use as a fixed fortification, but Cao Xiu wanted to fight in the wild. Carrying a baggage truck was already slow. Now that he brought such a thing with him, it would not be as fast as a turtle!

There are also small Juma.

But the small Juma in front of Cao Xiu was convenient for transportation, 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 throb 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 so? ! This is my pen... Oh my! 』

Obviously, if you are not a professional, do not try sketching with a brush.

But Cao Xiu never expected that there were craftsmen who also copied the thickness changes of the lines drawn by his brush...

Due to the inaccuracy of the sketch, the craftsmen had to use their own creativity 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 in mountains and rivers, but in people's hearts.

He suddenly figured out why Shandong could never catch up with Guanzhong...

If there is gunpowder in Guanzhong, doesn’t it exist in Shandong?

As a result, the gunpowder in Guanzhong can be used to produce artillery, while the gunpowder in Shandong is still a firework.

How long has the Huangshi ruler in Guanzhong been implemented?

But because Shandong is based on the Guanzhong ruler, many local counties are unwilling to use it, or even completely refuse it...

There are also those metallurgical and forging workshops, as well as the craftsmen in front of him...

Cao Xiu looked at the "new-style chevaux de frise" of various shapes and sizes, and sighed.

The general of the rear camp saw that the situation was not good, so he immediately pointed at the old craftsman and cursed, "Old man, why didn't you follow the general's instructions and the general's sketch? ! I gave you trust, time, and the tools you needed, but you gave the general this kind of thing in return? ! Huh? ! I tell you, the blame this time is all..."

"That's enough!" Cao Xiu roared, interrupting the general's words.

Now, it can only be redone.

But the time wasted, the energy and physical strength wasted, and the various non-renewable materials...

The general quickly shrank his angry 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 to the sketch he drew and said, "Come, come here, this is what I think..."