In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 650 A frostbitten eggplant is an unusable document
Lu Yunyi glanced at the numerous documents he had calculated and said in a deep voice:
This document was written in a very meticulous and formal manner.
Many of the accounts are very clear and concise, making it a good strategy guide.
However, if used in warfare, it would be too rigid, lacking any unnecessary redundancy.

"redundancy?"

Zhang Huai'an looked puzzled and muttered to himself.

Lu Yunyi continued:
"Yes, the biggest variable on the battlefield is people."
This is evident not only on the frontal or flank battles, but also in the military camps of both sides.

Soldiers cannot possibly behave according to your plan.

For two whole months, I ate, slept, and rested in a very rigid and disciplined manner.

It is no exaggeration to say that throughout the entire two-month operation,
It's already a rare treat to have a few days where you can eat and sleep according to a plan.

Zhang Huai'an looked puzzled and continued to ask:

"May I ask, sir, why is this?"

"According to your calculations, the ratio of rice, flour, and meat in military rations is seven to two to one."

This is good, but it can only sustain this in the early stages of the war.
At this time, the soldiers were still in good physical condition and were able to eat in an orderly manner.

But by the middle of the battle, with the front lines locked in a stalemate and casualties rising daily, could the soldiers still afford to eat their rations of coarse rice and pickled vegetables with gusto?

Lu Yunyi flipped through the documents, startling the candlelight, which flickered slightly.

"Back then, some people scrambled for dried meat to stave off hunger."
Some people fought over getting an extra half bowl of thin porridge.
The originally well-organized rationing system was nothing more than a thin piece of paper that would crumble at the slightest touch!

You must remember, you are not dealing with the docile people of the past.
Instead, they were soldiers wielding long swords, clad in armor, seasoned in battle, and filled with resentment.
Within the camp, a single glance can sometimes spark a battle.

Not to mention a bowl of porridge or a piece of meat.

Therefore, in order to ensure a sufficient food supply and meet the needs of the soldiers,
They typically have extremely high redundancy in their design.

Just like transporting grain, grain was transported from Zhili to the border towns of Beiping.

We need to prepare at least twice the amount of food before we set off.

Even so
In the seventeenth year of the Hongwu reign, a great rain fell.

When they arrived in Beiping, only 50% of the grain was left.

At this point, as the superior official, can you blame the laborers who transported the grain?
The blame lies with the military advisors of the Governor's Office who formulated the strategy.
Even if someone is innocent, they should still be dismissed because they did something incompetent.

Zhang Huai'an's Adam's apple bobbed, and his lips felt a little dry. He understood.

Lu Yunyi looked at the document and continued:
"The decisive battle has begun."
The soldiers were in a state of panic, like frightened birds, physically exhausted, and psychologically on the verge of collapse.

You must remember, this is not child's play.

It was a real, bloody battle.

We must get the soldiers to risk their lives to fill the gaps in the battle lines.

Let them go to their deaths.

At this point, if one still only eats rice and noodles, without any wine or meat,

I fear that a mutiny will break out in the camp before the enemy even attacks the city!
Even death row inmates get to have some meat and a bowl of strong liquor for their last meal.
Surely our Ming army's elite troops aren't inferior to even death row inmates?

Zhang Huai'an broke out in a cold sweat.

He tossed and turned all night, thinking about how amazing his performance had been that day.
The adult before him was greatly shocked and exclaimed, "Huai'an is a great talent!"

But now, things haven't gone as planned.

Upon hearing this, he could already picture the scene of his army being defeated.

"Why is it that although drinking is prohibited in the military, alcohol is always kept on hand? You should think about that carefully."

Rules are just empty words in the face of life and death.
If we blindly follow the rules, how can we fight this war?
Could it be that both sides have deployed a force?
Charging into battle on the plains? That's impossible!

Taking a deep breath, Lu Yunyi explained:

"Planning should be like an iron pot on a stove, leaving enough room for it to churn."

Rice and noodles are the staple, while meat and vegetables are the supplements.
But what truly saved lives was that little bit of 'extra' that soldiers would fight over even knowing it was against the rules.
If you plan everything too meticulously, it's like welding the lid to the side of an iron pot—it'll explode sooner or later!

Zhang Huai'an was covered in sweat, and his lips were tinged with a pale color.
"My lord, I know I was wrong."

"If there's a problem, then solve it. If admitting mistakes is useful, what's the point of military discipline?"

After speaking, Lu Yunyi looked up at Zhang Huai'an and said with a smile:

"Such strategies, according to military law, warrant dismissal and investigation."
Keep this in mind and use it as a reminder.

"Yes"

"Okay, let's talk about other issues."

Zhang Huai'an's face went blank, his legs went weak, and he looked as if he had lost his parents:

"Are there any more?"

Lu Yunyi raised his head and looked at him with slight surprise:
"This is your first time handling this kind of document. If this is the only problem you have, wouldn't you be an extraordinary talent?"

"Uh"

Zhang Huai'an was speechless and listened silently.

Lu Yunyi traced the densely packed marching route map on the document with his fingertips and spoke calmly:
“It is wrong to limit the daily march distance of the grain transport team to thirty-five li.”

Although livestock are relatively flexible for carrying loads, sometimes able to travel fifty miles,

However, if it is in a mountainous area or a place with poor road conditions,
Mule and horse carts had difficulty moving.

The daily journey might only be about 20 li (approximately 10 kilometers), and the transport of livestock would also be affected.

This is still outside the pass.

Even without rain or snow, strong winds will make it even slower.

He continued flipping through the pages, his red pen emphatically marking a spot in a river valley.
"Come here, let me look at this road."
This path, which appears to be a shortcut, is actually surrounded by cliffs on three sides.
If the enemy sets up an ambush here, they won't even have a chance to maneuver!

This is suicide, not a military campaign!

"Furthermore, the transportation of grain and supplies has always been a battleground for competition."
Where might the enemy attack from, and what are the countermeasures?
None of these.

If we transport grain according to the current strategy,

A cavalry unit of five hundred men could complete the interception.
If the army runs out of food immediately, the battle is over.
There are many more problems like this.
If you want to formulate a strategy for advancing your troops, you can't just look at previous documents.
You need to go deep into the military camp and interact more with the veterans.

Although some of them were illiterate and only knew how to fight in their entire lives.

Listen to their opinions, and then seek verification and dialectical analysis from multiple perspectives.
Only then can reasonable and correct strategic planning be made.

Zhang Huai'an's legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground. His body felt numb.

"My lord, I understand."

Lu Yunyi placed the document at the end and sighed somewhat helplessly:
"This is the most dangerous thing!"

He pointed to the "Post-War Victory Celebration Banquet Arrangements" at the end of the document.
"The people haven't even left yet, and you've already arranged the seating for the victory celebration? That's absurd."

"My lord, your subordinate, your subordinate," Zhang Huai'an didn't know how to explain.

Lu Yunyi shook his head and said in a deep voice:
"The battlefield is ever-changing."

We eat and drink today, and tomorrow we'll be buried in the earth.
Don't jump to conclusions before things have truly reached that point.

You can walk slowly, but you absolutely cannot take the wrong path.

"Take the documents back and make the necessary corrections."
I've marked some of the questions, and others I haven't.

Look carefully, see if you can find it.

After Lu Yunyi finished speaking, he closed the document and handed it back.

Zhang Huai'an groaned in despair, quickly stepping forward to take it, looking utterly defeated.
"My lord, this strategy is a bit too difficult."

Lu Yunyi was taken aback, then laughed:

"You only find it difficult because you haven't experienced a battlefield."
Faced with life and death, writing and drawing are not difficult. Go ahead.

Zhang Huai'an rubbed his eyes and rallied his spirits:
"Yes!"

After Zhang Huai'an left, Lu Yunyi sat silently behind his desk, his face as calm as still water.

My thoughts were in complete disarray, flowing out one after another.

Finally, all the thoughts began to slowly tangle and knot, eventually turning into a ball of yarn.
Lu Yunyi sighed helplessly:

"What a troubled time."

Lu Yunyi stood up, walked to the basin, filled it with water, and submerged his head completely in it.
The cold water submerged his face, drowning him in an instant.
The icy water rolled across my cracked face like a knife, causing a stinging sensation.

Lu Yunyi was completely unaware, his thoughts racing.

A moment later, there was a "thump".
Lu Yunyi suddenly stood up straight, water droplets flying everywhere, taking away some of the fatigue and drowsiness from staying up all night.

After drying his face, Lu Yunyi strode out of the government office.

Upon seeing this, Lu Kang, who was standing at the door, hurried forward, his expression growing increasingly grave.
"grown ups."

Is there a problem?

"Many people have turned their gazes toward us, and I feel it's happening a bit too frequently."

"Hmm, ignore it. Has Black Hawk returned?"

"Reporting to your Excellency, they came to the Commandery at the beginning of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), but left shortly afterward."

Before he could finish speaking, his bodyguard Hu Xiaowu rushed over.

His face flushed red, and the hot breath he exhaled rolled in the wind.

He spotted Lu Yunyi standing in front of the door at a glance, quickly approached, and lowered his voice:
"My lord, the grain from the Daning Vanguard has returned!" "Returned?"

Lu Yunyi was taken aback for a moment, then a faint smile quickly appeared on his lips.

He casually tugged at it, but his eyes grew increasingly cold.

"In the morning, brothers came to report that no food had been lost."
It was secretly placed in another location by the commander.
The commander had entered the city yesterday, so the assistant clerk in charge of the granary was unaware of the matter, leading to a misunderstanding.

Hu Xiaowu's voice grew softer and softer as he spoke.
It's as if she's making herself sound insecure.

Lu Yunyi laughed again, looked at Lu Kang, and gave the order:

“Gather five hundred brothers from the city, let’s go take a look, put on your armor.”

"Yes!" Lu Kang's expression was solemn.
He hurriedly went down to issue military orders.
Lu Yunyi turned to look at Hu Xiaowu and patted him on the shoulder:

"Xiao Wu, do you think this is believable?"

Hu Xiaowu looked around warily, then his eyes widened suddenly:

"Sir, of course you cannot be trusted."
You don't know, but we went there unexpectedly yesterday.

Those people were so terrified they couldn't even utter a complete sentence.

"I understand. Did Qu Qingfeng go?"

"He's gone; the adult he rushed to see this morning has gone."

Then the adults took us to see it together.

"Is there anything unusual about him?" Lu Yunyi asked.
"Nothing seems amiss, everything is very calm."

Hu Xiaowu thought for a moment and then spoke up.

"calm?"

Lu Yunyi, with his deep-set eyes, chuckled dismissively:
Do you think it's normal for him to be calm?

Hu Xiaowu shook his head:
"This is abnormal. He should be panicked and desperate to prove his innocence."

It can also be feelings of grievance, helplessness, or absurdity, but never calmness.

"Great progress, not bad."

Hu Xiaowu smiled sheepishly and scratched his head:

"It's all thanks to the good teaching of the adults."

"Black Hawk said yesterday that he had his eye on a young man in the city."
What's your name, Asir? How does it feel?

"he"

Hu Xiaowu pondered for a moment, then said:
"His family wasn't well-off, but he was very clever."

He learned some characters while learning to farm, and Master Liu said he was good at seizing opportunities.

As for other things, it's not clear yet.

Lu Yunyi nodded:
"Okay, let's observe for a while."
If he is truly suitable, then send him to gather information from the south of the city.

Some of these are unspoken thoughts, only to be shared in bed, and only people like them, the people of the grasslands, can truly understand them.

"Yes!"

At this moment, Lu Kang walked over.
“Great people, come out, come out.”

"Well, let's go."

The weather in Daning today is neither good nor bad.
Dark clouds drifted slowly across the sky.

Sometimes it blocks out the sun, sometimes it lets the sunlight in.

The beginning of Si Shi, which is around nine o'clock.
Just like yesterday, long queues had formed on Anhe Street.

It's no exaggeration to say that today was even more lively than yesterday, simply because there were more women and children.

They stood in line, clutching their precious notes tightly.
Every now and then, I would stand on tiptoe to watch the line move forward.

They were afraid that Kang Le Trading Company at the front would run out of stock.

"Please don't push or shove each other. There's plenty of sugar today."

If anyone causes trouble, the military commander and the prefectural government will imprison you!

But as the waiter kept shouting,
Those already in line breathed a slight sigh of relief.

A rare smile appeared on his face, even in winter.
Ten cents!
That's ten coins!
Enough for a family to eat and drink.

You can even buy some meat and make a delicious meat soup.
Many people looked hopeful.
However, some of them didn't look too good.

They didn't manage to snag a job that paid ten coins.

They only managed to snag jobs that paid five or even three coins.

Although this is also free,
But compared to others, I still feel humiliated.

When Lu Yunyi led his group through the north of the city,

I happened to see two ragged grassland people fighting in the street.

They were barefoot and wrestling together.
You throw a punch, I kick, we seem weak and powerless, cursing in some unknown tribe's language.

Originally, the yamen runners and soldiers were all watching the commotion with smiles on their faces.

But upon seeing Lu Yunyi and his group arrive, their expressions instantly turned serious.
The yamen runners and soldiers swarmed forward and pulled the two apart.

Even so, their eyes were still red and they were gritting their teeth.
It was as if they wanted to tear the other person to pieces.

"Go and ask what happened," Lu Yunyi said calmly.
Lu Kang waved his hand from the side.

One of the guards broke away from the group and went over.

Lu Yunyi didn't go to see the entanglement there.

Instead, they looked at the packed Anhe Street.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

There wasn't much money circulating in Daning City to begin with.

Giving out money at this time is a win-win situation.

"Sir, we've found out the truth; it was due to a verbal altercation." Lu Kang approached.
"They each earned three coins, and each earned ten coins."

One person made a sarcastic remark, and the other was indignant, which led to the fight.

Lu Yunyi's eyes narrowed, a fierce glint flashing in them, and the atmosphere seemed to freeze instantly.
He nodded slightly:
"Understood. Tell the city defense troops maintaining order."
The actions of every household within the city must be recorded.

"Yes!"

The group then left the city in a grand procession.

Just as they stepped out of the city gate,

Lu Yunyi then waved his hand forcefully and gave the order in a cold voice:
"Marching five li, our destination is the Daning Vanguard Grain Depot Camp ahead."

The words fell,

Lu Yunyi then pulled on the reins and charged off ahead.

The horses' hooves rolled, kicking up plumes of white mist on the snow, like snowflakes that hadn't yet fallen.

Lu Yunyi's figure rose and fell on his warhorse.

A cold wind blew against my face.

His thoughts were instantly pulled back to the scene two years ago, when he bravely charged and fought in Buyur Lake.

Lu Yunyi was momentarily dazed.

In just two years, so many things have happened.

It gave him a feeling that things had changed and people were no longer the same.
Amidst a multitude of complex thoughts, Lu Yunyi's gaze gradually hardened.

They saw the Daning Vanguard Granary Camp at the edge of their line of sight.

They also saw a dozen or so soldiers who had been waiting at the door.

The command flag fluttered at the edge of the horizon, and the muffled thud of horses' hooves echoed on the official road.

As it gets closer, it gradually slows down and finally comes to a stop.

The soldiers at the gate rushed over immediately.

With hands clasped in a fist and palm salute, speaking in a loud and clear voice:
"Greetings, Lord Lu. We are here to welcome you as ordered. Please enter the stronghold, Lord Lu."

"Um"

Lu Yunyi, mounted on his warhorse, scanned his surroundings.
He nodded almost imperceptibly, looking at the numerous fences and heavily guarded watchtowers surrounding the perimeter.

Although absurd things like the grain and fodder disappearing and then mysteriously returning occurred,
But at least, the current defenses are excellent.

Before long, Lu Yunyi and his group arrived at the northwest corner of the camp.

He immediately spotted the massive military tents that were connected together.

The curtain had already been drawn back, revealing the messy and scattered grain and straw.

When he saw the grain and fodder just lying casually on the ground,
Lu Yunyi's lips curled up, and he let out a soft chuckle:
"This was handled quite casually."

(End of this chapter)