Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 39 Opening a Military Academy! Opening a Military Academy! Opening a Military Academy! (Seeking monthly votes)
In the Battle of the Wei River, Han Xin defeated Long Ju...

After a period of contemplation, Zhu Youjian's thoughts gradually became clearer.

In his view, the key to this battle lies in four points.

First, the degree of organization.

The tactic of feigning defeat demands extremely high levels of discipline and organizational ability from the army.

If one is not careful, a feigned defeat can turn into a real defeat.

Only a well-trained and disciplined army can operate with ease on a chaotic battlefield.

For example, Li Su's nighttime incursion into Caizhou sounds incredibly romantic, but behind it lies an explosive level of organization.

"A great blizzard raged, banners were torn, and horses froze to death in droves... Everyone thought they were doomed, yet out of fear, none dared to disobey."

If it were the Ming Dynasty's garrisons or even the elite troops of Liaodong today, they would probably have collapsed on the spot long ago if they were to carry out such a tactical order with a nine-out-of-ten chance of survival.

Secondly, feasibility.

Can building a dam on the upper reaches of the Wei River using sandbags really store enough water?
Can the force of moving sandbags one by one by manpower instantly create an overwhelming impact?
Will the choice of battlefield, seasonal considerations, and weather changes lead to unexpected situations?

Presumably, after devising his plan, Han Xin must have sent people to conduct thorough investigations and rehearsals before choosing the Wei River as the final battlefield.

Third, the gains have been expanded.

While flooding could create a local numerical advantage by cutting off enemy forces, it also meant giving up the opportunity to annihilate the enemy completely.

To maximize the results of the battle, cavalry units must be deployed on the opposite bank in advance.

Only in this way can we pursue and encircle the enemy when they are routed, turning the battle of defeat into a battle of annihilation.

Fourth, risk contingency plans.

As the art of war says, "Consider defeat before victory."

What if Long Ju doesn't fall for it?
What if the water flow is too weak to effectively divide the enemy forces?
These unexpected situations all require corresponding contingency plans.

For example, preparing reserve teams to provide support, constructing camps and fortifications along the retreat route in advance, and agreeing on contingency plans with the troops crossing the river, etc.

Zhu Youjian carefully considered these four points in his mind, and felt that there were no oversights. Only then did he confidently open the answer sheet that was hailed as a "masterpiece".

Upon first reading this article, Zhu Youjian couldn't help but show an appreciative smile.

good article!
The martial arts champion, Wen Zhi, was clearly well-versed in military strategy, and his logic was clear and progressive.

In the opening chapter, Wen Zhi put forward the core argument of "mutual generation of the unexpected and the expected".

He believed that the art of war lay in the interplay of "illusion and reality" and "orthodox and unorthodox tactics."

Those who are good at anticipating the enemy often attack their weaknesses and avoid their strengths.

Those who excel at defeating their enemies do so by employing unconventional tactics in accordance with conventional ones.

Following this, the article uses several classic battle examples, such as those of Han Xin, Emperor Guangwu, Zhou Yu, and Li Su, to deeply analyze the essence of ingenious strategies.

—It is precisely by knowing oneself and one's enemy that one can gain insight into the enemy's situation.

Whether it was Han Xin's strategy of using sand to block water or Zhou Yu's burning of the Red Cliffs, the key to their success lay in their accurate grasp of the enemy's psychology and the situation, rather than simply taking risky military moves.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Youjian couldn't help but be slightly amazed.

This ancient person was indeed capable; his own answer focused too much on practical application and lacked the profound meaning of the opening statement.

However, as he continued reading, the smile on his face gradually faded, and his brows furrowed.

After discussing the ingenious scheme, the article shifts its focus and begins to categorize the "ingenious" into different levels.

Wen Zhi believed that the ingenious schemes of Han Xin, Zhou Yu, and others ultimately relied solely on meticulous calculations to achieve victory.

This is nothing more than a display of "ingenious wisdom".

Even higher than that is the "extraordinary virtue".

He cited Guo Ziyi's solo retreat from the Uyghurs as an example, arguing that Guo Ziyi's success was not solely due to his wisdom and strategy.

Furthermore, his usual loyalty and righteousness, and his prestige that won people's hearts, all demonstrate his ability to subdue people with virtue, which is an even more brilliant and extraordinary achievement.

The highest level of wonder is the "wonder of the gods".

For example, Wang Ba used the lie that the river ice had frozen over to reassure his troops on the banks of the Hutuo River, but the river actually did freeze over.

Wen Zhi believed that this was already a divine response between heaven and man, beyond human capabilities, and almost divine.

Zhu Youjian felt as if he had swallowed a fly.

This is absolutely incredible!

How is this any different from a novel that lures someone in with three golden chapters and then starts sprawling filler?
He frowned and continued reading until the very end of the article, when the true purpose of the text was finally revealed.

At the end of the article, Wen Zhi began to discuss the current political situation at length.

He believed that under the protection of Heaven, the Ming Dynasty was revitalized and stable, and its prestige shook the world.

With the central government and provincial authorities working in close coordination, and the border fortresses and garrisons operating with strict discipline, the situation had already reached a perfect juncture.

In this situation, the enemy has no opportunity to exploit, so there is no need to deliberately pursue so-called "ingenious schemes".

Zhu Youjian was speechless. Are you talking about the Jiajing era in this time and space?

Finally, Wen Zhi expressed his true feelings, saying that he admired Guo Ziyi the most and hoped that he could act with virtue, be loyal and righteous, and make contributions to the country like Guo Ziyi.

"Snapped!"

Zhu Youjian finally lost his temper and slammed the examination paper heavily onto the imperial desk. Zhu Youjian sneered; this was hardly a military strategy essay, but merely a poorly written examination paper.

The entire text is filled with talk of the interaction between heaven and man, moral influence, and destiny, which sounds mysterious and profound, but in reality, it is nothing but empty and ethereal.

His face was ashen as he turned to the second question.

In Zhu Youjian's view, the second question was more valuable and more difficult to answer.

Ancient chariots and naval forces, used for thousands of years, what benefits did they bring?
Later generations developed different systems for vehicles and boats; which had advantages and which had disadvantages?
Please refer to the examples of Li Ling's Battle of Junji Mountain, where he used oxcarts as his camp but was ultimately defeated by the Xiongnu cavalry; and Cao Cao's Battle of Red Cliffs, where he linked his boats with iron chains but ultimately suffered the calamity of Zhu Rong.

Is it feasible for our dynasty to use chariot warfare to defend against the enemy and naval warfare to defend against Japanese pirates?

it is good!
This was the real matter of national importance, directly addressing the military predicament of the Ming Dynasty at that time.

But to answer this question well, one must have solid practical experience in border and coastal combat, which he certainly couldn't answer.

But how does this top scholar intend to answer?

Zhu Youjian quickly scanned the second set of answers.
Sure enough, the top scholar's answer was just another old soup, the same old soup with a different broth.

The advantages and disadvantages of chariot formations and naval forces are only touched upon superficially.

Then he began to speak eloquently: "The sharpness or dullness of tools depends on the person who wields them; the superiority or inferiority of laws depends on the right people. Therefore, we know that the sage king's response to the world depends solely on the right time and the right people."

Zhu Youjian felt a surge of anger rising in his chest and straight to his head.

These universally applicable principles are, in the end, nothing more than excuses for one's own ignorance!

He slowly raised his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping over the three martial arts instructors who were silent as cicadas in fear.

……

The moment he looked at the three people in front of him, he understood!

Why did such empty talk and misleading articles receive unanimous praise from the Hanlin Academy examiners?
Because the ones being judged are those civil officials who are ignorant of military affairs and fond of empty talk!
Because the professors are these pedantic scholars who spend their lives studying classics and picking and choosing phrases!

They themselves don't understand military affairs, nor the blood and fire of war.

All they can appreciate are these pretentious, highbrow articles!

It was ostensibly a selection of generals, but in reality, it was a selection of essays!

It's called a test of martial arts skills, but in reality, it's a test of moral character!

If a vessel does not match its name, it must be a fake!

If a name does not live up to its name, disaster is sure to follow!

How is this method of selecting officials any different from Zhao Kuo, who only knew how to talk about war on paper?
Did the Ming Dynasty use such standards to select generals to defend the country's borders?

ridiculous!

sad!

Sigh!

This isn't selecting talented generals; it's clearly training a bunch of Zhao Kuos!
How similar this is to the rigid, formulaic examination system for selecting officials!

Use a fixed template to select a group of "intelligent people," and then let this group of intelligent people govern the entire country with virtue and integrity.

And now, is the Ming Dynasty's army also using this standard for selection?
Zhu Youjian felt a sense of absurdity.

He waved his hand weakly, signaling the three of them to leave.

The three instructors were trembling with fear because of Zhu Youjian's sudden and unprovoked rage.

Seeing this, they felt as if they had been granted a pardon, bowed in unison, and slowly withdrew from the hall.

Inside the hall, only Zhu Youjian and Xu Yingyuan remained.

Xu Yingyuan cautiously stepped forward and whispered:
"Your Majesty, there are still over three hundred squad leaders outside the palace who have some basic literacy. What should be done with them?"

Zhu Youjian then remembered that there was such a thing.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, as if trying to expel all the pent-up emotions from his chest.

These pedantic scholars are not to be relied upon.

The decline of military prowess stems from the neglect of cultural pursuits.

This martial arts style, rotten to the core, seems beyond saving unless it is completely overturned and rebuilt.

He was initially hesitant to become like Chiang Kai-shek out of caution, but now it seems that even if Chiang Kai-shek is foolish in a thousand ways, opening a school is never foolish.

When he opened his eyes again, the disappointment had faded, replaced by a chilling calmness and resolve.

He looked at Xu Yingyuan and said, word by word:

"Go and deliver the imperial decree."

"Set up three hundred tables for me in the main hall."

"I will personally set questions for them and give them a test!"

　[Historical Materials in this Chapter]

　　1. The historical materials are too long, so I used AI to translate the article of this martial arts champion in the thirty-second year of Jiajing into vernacular Chinese (I feel that the reading difficulty is not high).

　　2. I've now placed it in the "Related Works" section, titled "The Martial Arts Champion's Essay Questions and Answers," about 4000 words long. Those interested can take a look. This essay is indeed beautifully written; it would easily be a perfect score essay today. However, it doesn't actually say anything substantial; it's all just general principles.

　　3. It doesn't matter if you're not interested, just trust me. This is really how the martial arts champions of this bizarre era were selected—oh my Ming Dynasty!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)