The prince is more stable

Chapter 562 Subtle
Since General Xu came to the Dragon Guard Camp, he felt that his three views had been challenged.

General Xu is a typical scholar, and he is also the top scholar in the imperial examination. In fact, scholars throughout history are very contrasting. They are obviously weak and powerless, but they dream of riding horses and killing enemies in the battlefield.

All we can say is that what they yearn for is someone else's life, which they themselves will never be able to achieve in their lifetime.

In General Xu's impression, the commander of an army was one who was decisive and ruthless. He would sit in the tent and issue orders. His orders were as powerful as a mountain, and all the soldiers under his command would fight to the death.

Because of the commander-in-chief's order, the soldiers went into battle and fought bravely, risking their lives. However, the commander-in-chief was calm as water and majestic in his tent, like a tiger commanding a group of beasts. People were in awe and could not help but bow down before him.

This is the commander-in-chief in General Xu's impression.

However, Zhao Xiaoqian opened his eyes. It turned out that there were people who did this in the field of head coach.

On the day of mobilizing troops, Zhao Xiaoqian sent out his troops before General Xu arrived, so General Xu did not get to see Zhao Xiaoqian giving orders in a majestic manner up close.

When General Xu arrived at the camp, it was empty. Zhao Xiaoqian was like an idle street kid, playing with cats and dogs and wandering around the camp. He did not show any of the majesty and temperament of a commander.

Now that such an important report has been received, General Xu thought that Zhao Xiaoqian should finally show off his power as the commander-in-chief and issue some orders to wake up the troops, right?

However, Zhao Xiaoqian only said, "It's up to you."

Is this what a military commander should say?
Are you here to poop?
"How could this happen?" General Xu looked at him in disbelief. "General Zhong is already engaged in battle with the Liao army on the front lines. What do you mean by 'let's do it ourselves'? Zi'an, they're already engaged! As the commander-in-chief, you should at least give some orders on how to proceed."

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed. It seemed that the political commissar had not yet broken away from the mindset of working in the Privy Council, and had not adapted to the rhythm of the current battle on the front line.

General Xu was the deputy envoy of the Privy Council. Zhao Xiaoqian was very familiar with the working style of the Privy Council of the imperial court. As the saying goes, all the memorials and official documents sent to the Privy Council from the local areas were already cold.

From the moment the Privy Council was established, it had been eating cold daylilies. Whenever there was news related to the military, it was already happening, and by the time the news reached the Privy Council, the matter was either already serious or had already been settled.

In such a situation, all the Privy Council could do was to make supplementary instructions afterwards and issue a few administrative orders to tell the local governments what to do.

News delay is one reason, and the bloated court organization and redundant staff are also a reason.

But such an atmosphere would not work on the front line, at least not for Zhao Xiaoqian.

The commander-in-chief was not on the battlefield in person, and he could not get the full picture of the battlefield situation from just a few words in the military report.

Without understanding the situation, the commander-in-chief gave random orders, telling the soldiers on the front line what to do and what not to do. This is called "giving random orders", which means that an amateur is commanding the experts. On the battlefield where lives are at stake, if the commander-in-chief does this, serious consequences will arise.

Therefore, Zhao Xiaoqian's command style has always been rational and calm. When he is not on the battlefield, he never interferes in specific tactical and strategic issues, allowing the front-line generals to make decisions on the spot.

General Xu could not understand. In his opinion, every move of the imperial army must be directly commanded by the commander-in-chief or a higher level such as the Ministry of War or the Privy Council. Without command from above, the soldiers below cannot move.

This is understandable. After all, the Song Dynasty has been doing this for hundreds of years since its founding. The court's control over the army has reached a very strict level. The Song Dynasty army's combat effectiveness is not strong only because of the courage and quality of the soldiers. The court's vigilance and control over the army is also one of the important reasons.

Facing General Xu's questioning, Zhao Xiaoqian spread his hands and said, "Zhong Jianzhong and the soldiers are doing a great job on the front lines. What else do I need to do? Besides cheering them on and preparing a merit book to commend them, what else can I do?"

General Xu frowned and said, "The 20,000 Dragon Guard soldiers under Zhong Jianzhong are the most elite royal army of the Great Song Dynasty. It's no exaggeration to say that this army has the power to sweep across the world. As the commander-in-chief, how can Zi'an remain indifferent?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled bitterly and said, "They'll naturally return after completing their work. What are you worried about, Mr. Chong Yuan? Are you worried about Zhong Jianzhong's disloyalty or the soldiers of the Dragon Guard Battalion harboring ulterior motives against the court?"

General Xu shook his head: "That's not what I meant, but the court has rules..."

Before he could finish his words, Zhao Xiaoqian interrupted him: "The court's rules don't apply on the battlefield. Soldiers fight for the court and kill the enemy, risking their lives. It's already very dangerous and difficult."

"What the court should do is relieve them of their worries, rather than impose any rules on them when they are fighting for their lives."

Seeing that General Xu still had a look of doubt on his face, Zhao Xiaoqian sighed and said, "Let's take an analogy. For example, if you were a child and got punched by a vagrant on the street, would you decisively fight back, or would you turn around and run home to complain to your father, saying, 'Someone hit me,' what should I do?"

General Xu said without hesitation: "How do you repay a grievance? Repay a grievance with justice. Of course, you should beat him back first."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled. "Look, isn't that quite clear? Why can't Mr. Chongyuan understand what's happening right now?" "Same thing, let's talk about the Song-Liao War. Zhong Jianzhong sent someone to report that they had encountered the Liao army and that a major battle was imminent. If Zhong Jianzhong had chosen to hold back and ask me, the commander-in-chief, whether to fight, and then start the battle after receiving my order, do you think that would be appropriate?"

"Zhong Jianzhong is utterly loyal to the court. He will not take action without the commander-in-chief's order. Even if the Liao army's swords are about to strike at the soldiers' necks, I will not take action without the court's order."

"What will be the final outcome? The Liao army slaughtered our soldiers like cutting melons and vegetables. I've never fought such an easy battle in my life. Zhong Jianzhong and his soldiers were all killed without firing a shot. Does Mr. Chongyuan think that such an outcome can prove the soldiers' loyalty to the court?"

General Xu's old face suddenly turned red.

From Zhao Xiaoqian's words, he finally realized how unreasonable he had been just now.

"What Zi'an said... well, I was confused just now. Only when you're on the front lines do you realize how precious the saying 'A general on the battlefield is not subject to his sovereign's orders' is."

The number one scholar was worthy of being the number one scholar. He admitted his mistake very frankly. Zhao Xiaoqian was also very pleased. After all, this number one scholar was not pedantic and his values ​​were relatively positive. It was just that he had been an official in the center of power for many years, so it was inevitable that he had picked up some bureaucratic habits.

Of course, there was indeed a wariness and arrogance of literati towards military generals. This was not a personal problem of General Xu, but a common problem of that era.

After spending these two days together, Zhao Xiaoqian gradually got to know him better and also formed a characterization of General Xu.

He does have some minor ailments, but overall he is not a bad person. This old comrade can be saved, with early treatment and recovery.

"I am not as magnanimous and broad-minded as Zi'an. I am too narrow-minded. In the future in the army, I hope Zi'an will give me more guidance." General Xu corrected his mistake and bowed to Zhao Xiaoqian seriously.

Zhao Xiaoqian hurriedly returned the greeting: "You are my elder, please don't embarrass me. I am just generous and have enough trust in the soldiers, that's all."

General Xu shook his head. "Zi'an isn't conceited, but rather possesses sufficient ability and confidence. I've been chatting with the soldiers who remain at the main camp these past few days, and they've all expressed deep respect and admiration for Zi'an, their loyalty and love for him. With just one word from Zi'an, they're ready to die for you."

"If a general can achieve this level, even Wei and Huo of the Han Dynasty can do the same."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled slightly.

What he can give to his soldiers is not only respect and justice, but also benefits.

Serving as a soldier under him, not to mention crossing class barriers, at least allows the whole family to rise from poor peasants to rich peasants. If you are a little more resilient on the battlefield, you may even be able to become a small landlord.

Who wouldn't love a coach like this? Anyone who dared to harm their coach would be destroying their jobs. How could they not die for him?
Zhao Xiaoqian was not worried about his troops divided into three groups, mainly because he had confidence in the three main generals Zhong Jianzhong, Zhe Keshi and Zong Ze.

What he wants to do now is to change General Xu's inherent ideas, let him completely integrate into the army under his command, and keep up with his thinking and rhythm of commanding the army. If he does not change, he may have conflicts with General Xu in future work, which will be a trouble of no small magnitude.

"Mr. Chong Yuan, I heard that all contemporary poets and lyricists yearn for the battlefields of war and iron horses, to feel the passion of killing the enemy and serving the country. Is it the same for you, Mr. Chong Yuan?" Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile.

General Xu stroked his beard and smiled, "I am no exception. I often dream of commanding an army of thousands. With a single command, I can gallop across the battlefield with my soldiers, bravely killing the enemy and expanding the territory of the Song Dynasty."

Zhao Xiaoqian blinked. "Sir, you and I will be guarding the border together. There will be many battles in the future. When it is convenient, you may as well go to the battlefield with the soldiers and feel the atmosphere of war. It will allow you to fulfill your dream. What do you think?"

General Xu was immediately surprised and asked, "Really? I can also go to the battlefield? Will I be a burden to the soldiers?"

"No, you can just stand at the rear and watch from a distance. It won't cause any trouble. Since you are interested, I will find a chance to arrange it for you later."

"Okay! Zi'an, thank you for your effort. Zi'an understands me, haha!" General Xu laughed happily.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled slightly. The army is a melting pot, and the battlefield is a place where one refines one's heart and soul. As long as General Xu personally participates in a few battles, his thinking and rhythm will be roughly consistent with those of the soldiers of the Dragon Guard Camp.

Zhao Xiaoqian finally straightened out General Xu's train of thought and breathed a sigh of relief.

If it were someone else, Zhao Xiaoqian would not have such patience. Anyone who dared to go against him in the army would be hit with twenty blows with a military stick, and from then on, they would unconsciously march in step when they saw him.

But this deputy envoy was Zhao Xu's spy, and he could not be beaten or scolded, nor could he be offended. Zhao Xiaoqian had no choice but to use this stupid method to quietly change the political commissar.

(End of this chapter)