The prince is more stable

Chapter 645: Compassion does not command troops
Zhao Xiaoqian's military leadership was quite unique; at least among the military generals of the Song Dynasty at that time, his methods were unparalleled.

Other military commanders were either too kind and weak, or too harsh and inhumane. Some commanders were so corrupt that their entire army was rotten to the core.

Zhao Xiaoqian, however, employed a combination of kindness and severity, striking a balance between leniency and firmness.

He turned a blind eye to military discipline in ordinary times, and even told his soldiers that it was permissible to plunder and kill enemy civilians when they went out to fight. The looted items did not need to be handed over, and any heinous acts against enemy civilians were tacitly permitted.

Therefore, the veterans of the Dragon Guard Battalion who followed Zhao Xiaoqian back then have all made a fortune. From initially being afraid of war to now being happy to hear about war, most of this is driven by profit.

We've given you the benefits, so you have to live up to them. Huge profits aren't given to good-for-nothings; they're only for heroes who dare to risk their lives.

Therefore, in order to stay in this army and continue to benefit from it, the veterans of the Dragon Guard were truly willing to risk everything when necessary.

Because they knew that on the battlefield, if anyone dared to take even a step back, or even show the slightest fear, it would be seen by the generals, and they would inevitably face dismissal upon returning, forever losing any chance of military merit or wealth.

They used the enemy's wealth to enrich their own soldiers, and then used their strict discipline to ensure that they would not retreat a single step on the battlefield.

This was Zhao Xiaoqian's method of governing the army.

Most of the soldiers under his command did not join the army out of loyalty to the emperor or to serve the country. They could join for promotion or for wealth, and Zhao Xiaoqian accepted all of that.

If your soldiers just eat food and don't get rich, then the commander is incompetent, and they deserve to be routed and defeated in battle.

But if the commander-in-chief has given you benefits, satisfied your greed, allowed you to plunder, and turned you into a bunch of lawless madmen, then if you still don't fight to the death for the commander-in-chief, then you have a moral problem.

Is there something wrong with the logic?

Nothing wrong with it at all.

This is how Zhao Xiaoqian governs his army. As the deputy envoy, Xu Jiang may not agree with it, but Zhao Xiaoqian is the one who holds the power of 100,000 troops. Even if Xu Jiang disagrees, he can only obey.

The recruit, clutching his stomach and groaning in pain, remained lying in front of Zhao Xiaoqian, unable to get up for a long time. Clearly, someone had kicked him in the stomach, and it was quite serious.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked down at him without a trace of pity, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.

Taking two steps forward, Zhao Xiaoqian squatted down in front of the new recruit and finally smiled: "Are you feeling unwell?"

The new recruit recognized Zhao Xiaoqian and nodded through gritted teeth.

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed again: "It's good to feel uncomfortable; comfort is for the dead..."

As he spoke, Zhao Xiaoqian showed concern and said with a pained expression, "It seems like you're seriously injured. Should I call a doctor for you?"

The recruit's face was ashen as he gritted his teeth and said, "I can bear it, there's no need to call a doctor, but Your Highness, this is not fair!"

Zhao Xiaoqian asked in surprise, "Fairness? You're talking about fairness with the enemy on the battlefield?"

The new recruit was stunned: "This is a battlefield? Isn't it a training ground? How can it be fair that your comrades-in-arms are so despicable and show no mercy?"

Zhao Xiaoqian calmly replied, "You're wrong. This isn't a drill ground; this is a battlefield. Your enemies are your own comrades, those veterans."

The recruit struggled for a moment, then couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, why is this happening? Why are our comrades fighting so recklessly?"

"Because you've been eating peace food for too long, because I want you to experience what real war is like first, because I don't want to see you all become cowards on the battlefield and affect the outcome of the war," Zhao Xiaoqian said coldly.

Zhao Xiaoqian paused, glancing casually at the silent Xu Jiang beside him.

These words were not only intended to educate the new recruits, but were also meant for General Xu.

The meaning of the phrase "a kind heart cannot command an army" is probably not fully understood by Xu, the top scholar. Today, he must experience it firsthand, otherwise this old fellow will continue to criticize him for being too strict in governing the army.

The recruit's face flushed red, as if he had been insulted, and he retorted, "I'm not a coward!"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled maliciously: "Who knows? Who believes you? You think you can just say it? You got kicked in the stomach and you're in this much pain, yet you're still complaining about unfairness. You have all the qualities a coward should have."

The recruit was furious. If Zhao Xiaoqian's status hadn't been so prestigious, he probably would have jumped up and given him a good whack in the heart.

Suppressing his anger, the recruit almost roared, "I'm not a coward! We're clearly equipped with firearms and can kill the enemy from hundreds of paces away. Why are we forced into close combat? Why are we incurring unnecessary casualties?"

Zhao Xiaoqian scoffed: "We equipped you with firearms so you could spout such easy nonsense? If it were that easy to annihilate the enemy, why would we need you? Wouldn't it be just as easy for me to use thousands of dogs to pull the trigger?"

"Such a simple job, even dogs can do it. And we don't need to pay them military pay. If they die in battle, the court doesn't have to give them any compensation. It saves money and trouble. So, may I ask, what's the difference between you and dogs?"

These words nearly made the recruit's brain explode; his young, innocent face turned a deep purplish-red. Zhao Xiaoqian patted his cheeks and sneered, "You're angry, aren't you? You want to kill me, right? Come on, hit me! Come on, hit me!"

Xu Jiang couldn't stand it anymore and quietly tugged at his sleeve: "Stop talking, I'm about to hit you, Zi'an, you should restrain yourself."

Zhao Xiaoqian coughed twice, putting away his fierce and servile demeanor.

Staring coldly at the new recruits, Zhao Xiaoqian said in a chilling tone, "I will only tell you one fact: last year, the Dragon Guard Battalion fought against the Liao army. The Liao army was powerful, and their cavalry broke through our first line of defense. They were so close that firearms were useless, and our comrades had no choice but to draw their swords and fight."

"In that battle, our army lost more than 3,000 soldiers. It was precisely because we paid attention to sword and spear training that when the enemy got close, the soldiers did not flee in disarray, but instead fought to the death and annihilated the Liao army."

"Now you know why we still need to practice close-quarters combat even though we're equipped with firearms, right?"

The recruit's expression changed instantly; his eyes were no longer clear, but instead held a look of understanding.

"What determines the outcome of a war is always people, the soldiers on both sides, not advanced weapons. Only the soldiers' indomitable will is worthy of enjoying victory. If you do not understand this principle, you are not worthy to stay in my army. You should go back to Bianjing as soon as possible."

The new recruit gritted his teeth and knelt on one knee before Zhao Xiaoqian: "I know I was wrong!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a figure emerged from the billowing yellow dust of the training ground, strutting about with an air of utter insolence, cursing and swearing as he went.

"Where's that bastard I just kicked away? Get over here right now and let's fight to the death again. I'll squeeze your balls out today! Hehehehe... Where is he? Where's that coward?"

Upon hearing this unfamiliar yet arrogant voice, Zhao Xiaoqian laughed.

You don't even need to look to know that this guy is definitely a veteran of the Dragon Guard Camp. Only veterans have this unique temperament of being a scoundrel, difficult to deal with, glib, and always ready to fight to the death.

The recruit kneeling on the ground clearly recognized the voice. After a moment of fear, he gritted his teeth and roared, "Fuck you! I'm not a coward!"

After saying that, the recruit jumped up, turned around, and charged towards the veteran with a desperate, mad-like attitude.

The new recruits' figures were once again swallowed up by the yellow dust of the drill ground, becoming hazy and indistinct until they merged into the dust.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled with delight. He didn't know the final fate of this new recruit, but he knew that he had gained a veteran under his command who had transformed from a greenhorn to a mature man.

At the edge of the training ground, Xu Jiang approached, his expression somewhat complicated.

"Zi'an's military management is truly..." General Xu hesitated, unsure how to comment.

Zhao Xiaoqian raised an eyebrow: "Mr. Chongyuan still doesn't agree?"

Xu sighed, "I still think it's too cruel. Such fine men, such brave and resolute men, who didn't get to fight on the battlefield, but instead perished at the hands of their comrades. It's just too much..."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "It's alright if you don't agree. Just respect my decision. If Mr. Chongyuan really disagrees, why not personally participate in the close combat between soldiers? Some things can only be understood by experiencing them firsthand..."

Looking around, Zhao Xiaoqian said expectantly, "How about I find a sparring partner for Mr. Chongyuan? Do you prefer a fat or a thin one? I can satisfy you either way."

Xu's eyelids twitched, and he involuntarily took two steps back, saying with a look of horror, "There's no need for that! My body is so frail, I'd die if you touched me, really."

…………

The martial arts competition on the training ground ended, and not long after, Zhong Jianzhong delivered the results.

In summary, the newly brought 50,000 Imperial Guards suffered a crushing defeat, with nearly 5,000 wounded, most of whom were new recruits.

After briefly reviewing the data, Zhao Xiaoqian took a walk around the recruits' camp.

During this martial arts exercise, the new recruits were baptized by war. The camp was filled with the groans and curses of the wounded, but Zhao Xiaoqian could hear something different in their curses.

That was the final growing pain of going from weak to strong.

They finally began to show some of the qualities of veterans.

"Old Zhong, tell the cooks to prepare large chunks of meat, all kinds of meat. The winning side today is entitled to eat meat, as much as they want. The losing side should stay in their tents and eat wild vegetable pancakes and drink hot pot soup," Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly.

As a veteran who had followed Zhao Xiaoqian for many years, Zhong Jianzhong naturally understood Zhao Xiaoqian's methods of managing the army. He smiled and said, "Yes, this subordinate will go and give the order right away, and also subtly spread the news that the veterans are eating meat to the new recruits' camp."

“That’s right. Pass down the order: continue the martial arts training tomorrow, close combat drills, again with new recruits against veterans.” Zhao Xiaoqian paused, then continued, “Tell the new recruits that only the winners get to eat meat. In the army, only fists matter; all other arguments are nonsense.”

(End of this chapter)