The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 121 A Veteran's Words: Half a Lifetime of Gains and Losses
After a slight pause, Mi Wei continued:
"The turning point came during the siege of Mayi during the reign of Emperor Xiaowu."

"Although the ambush failed in that battle, it made everyone realize that Han cavalry was absolutely no match for Hu cavalry in terms of mounted archery."

"While the Han infantry and their military formations were exquisite, they were also short-legged. In addition, the Hu cavalry were primarily engaged in plundering, not in occupying cities; they would come when there was profit and leave when there was none. Ancient tactics were simply insufficient to deal with the current predicament."

"Therefore, after Mayi, Emperor Wu was determined to reform, changing archery to long halberds and sabers for charging. He also stopped letting the Han cavalry passively respond to the enemy, but instead concentrated a large number of cavalry to raid the enemy's rear for hundreds of miles."

"Wei and Huo were among the best at this, and they made unparalleled contributions at that time!"

"Since then, the Han cavalry has gradually overtaken the Hu cavalry, and the Xiongnu have found it difficult to match our great Han."

"Later on, the knights found that the horizontal bar of the halberd could easily knock them off their horses when charging at the enemy, so they switched to a long bar."

"They used high-bridged saddles to stabilize their bodies and stirrups to help them mount and dismount, thus giving cavalry the ability to charge into enemy lines head-on, no longer just for supporting infantry... and that's how they came to be what they are today."

Mi Wei had exhausted all his knowledge and experience in one breath, and his mouth was dry.

Fortunately, Ma Chao finally showed a satisfied expression and praised:

"I didn't expect Master Shan to be so knowledgeable in this field. It seems he has found a good master!"

Mi Wei thought to himself that time is the best teacher, after all, it's been nearly two thousand years.

Ma Chao: "That's right, what you've said is one of the reasons why the Han cavalry is superior to the Hu cavalry today."

Just one of them?

Mi Weimeng gulped down a mouthful of water and almost choked.

Ma Chao reminded him:
"Have you ever wondered why, three hundred years have passed since Emperor Wu of Han launched his northern expedition against the Xiongnu, yet the Xiongnu cavalry still haven't learned the tactics of the Han cavalry?"

Well... Miwei really hasn't considered that.

So I honestly asked for advice.

Ma Chao once again lashed his whip northward.
"The key lies in this 'fighting together from top to bottom'!"

Unexpectedly, after going around in circles, we've come full circle back to the original topic.

But Mi Wei, connecting the dots, suddenly had an epiphany, and his expression became even more solemn.

Then Ma Chao said:
"Although the Hu cavalry are all skilled in riding and archery, their authority as the rulers of the grasslands is far less than that of the emperor of the Central Plains."

"The so-called 'Shanyu' and 'wise king' are nothing more than slightly stronger tribal chiefs."

Other families, fearing its power and seeing the potential for profit, temporarily acknowledged it as their master.

"If its momentum falters even slightly, or if there is no profit to be made, it should be discarded like worn-out shoes."

"Thus, even if they claim to have 300,000 archers, they cannot control them as they would their own limbs, nor can they command their knights to charge into battle as recklessly as the Han cavalry and soldiers."

"If the situation turns unfavorable, the Hu cavalry will flee faster than anyone else, regardless of whether you are the Chanyu or a wise king?"

"And can you imagine such a thing happening to the emperor of the Han dynasty?"

It's not that there aren't any, but the proportion is ultimately too low.

Mi Wei thought to himself.

At this point, he finally understood what the other person meant.

The real difference between the Han and Hu peoples is actually this.

It lies in "principles and discipline".

It lies in "laws and regulations".

Or, to use a later terminology.

It boils down to the issues of "military organization" and "strategic mobilization capability".

The Central Plains dynasties began with Qin Shi Huang establishing a unified empire.

This led to the establishment of a top-down, rigorous, and meticulous national organizational structure.

After more than four hundred years of development during the Han Dynasty, this model has become fully mature and will continue to lead the times for nearly two thousand years.

The so-called Han dynasty inherited the Qin system, and most of the subsequent dynasties made modifications and alterations to the Han system.

But the emperor, the court, the government, officials, the prefecture and county system... and even the system of ruler-subject, father-son.

However, the essence remains the same despite all the variations.

Only after this entire upper-level architecture has been built.

Only then can soldiers advance and retreat with ease and command on the battlefield.

They will fear military law, be intimidated by morality, and obey orders, rather than being a disorganized mob.

As a person from a later era, Mi Wei may not have been as perceptive about the "authority of the emperor" as the ancients.

However, this did not prevent him from drawing inferences from similar cases by observing the history before and after.

Not to mention far away.

Take Liu Xie, for example, who was just "funeral announced".

He was already a puppet in Cao Cao's hands.

Why was he able to remain emperor for another thirty years before stepping down?
It's because in this land and in this era, the authority of the "Son of Heaven" is simply unquestionable.

Even a powerful figure like Cao Cao had to rely on his position to achieve the strategic goal of "fighting together with the strength of superiors and subordinates".
And then we think about the future.

Why did the Central Plains civilization suppress its surrounding areas for a long period of time during the agricultural era?
Why did nomadic forces, once they moved south, quickly assimilate into Chinese culture whenever they gained influence?
Isn't it because, under agrarian economic conditions, this is the most efficient form of organization for a country and its military? Only a country organized in this way.

Only then can they unleash a sufficiently sustained and powerful fighting force in foreign wars.

Any group that is indifferent, blind to, or slow to react to this point.

They will all rapidly decline and crumble into dust in the brutal competition between civilizations.

Without exception.

Having figured this out, Miwei went to look at the coronation ceremony that he had always thought was just a formality.

Suddenly, I had a different feeling.

Then it became clear why Ma Chao praised Liu Bei as the commander in Shu who was best at "fighting with the combined efforts of superiors and subordinates," with Zhuge Liang second, and the two of them ahead of other generals.

These two men had long since transcended the realm of ordinary military commanders and become the founders of the Shu Han Empire's system.

At this moment, Ma Chao suddenly turned around, pointed at himself, and said mockingly:
"Now you know why, even when I allied with Han Yu and led an army of 100,000, we still couldn't defeat Cao Cao, right?"

Miwei suddenly realized the truth.

An old general's words summed up half a lifetime of gains and losses.

It really benefited him a lot.

……

Afterwards, Mi Wei consulted Ma Chao on a lot of knowledge about cavalry warfare.

They even included a pair of double stirrups, which were specially prepared as part of the gift.

He had originally planned to give Ma Chao a good "shock".

But after that realization...

At this point, such trivial skills seem rather uninteresting.

Ma Chao, however, was immediately impressed when he saw the new tool.

It's not about being amazed by someone's wildly imaginative ideas or the groundbreaking tools they've invented.

In fact, Ma Chao's first reaction was that he had seen this thing before.

When I was a child learning to ride a horse, some of my companions could never get on or off the horse, so their adults came up with similar assistive devices.

However, the other party used simple cloth and rope stirrups, which were not as exquisite as the pair of carefully crafted bronze stirrups made by Miwei.

However, Ma Chao knew his stuff.

They quickly agreed with Mi Wei's suggestion to replace the single stirrup with a double stirrup.

Finally, someone got to show off their genius for a little while, so all that effort wasn't wasted.

But since Mi Wei had already had that profound enlightenment, his whole being had been "sublimated".

Naturally, they would no longer be satisfied with such a small amount of vanity.

Instead, he earnestly sought advice from Ma Chao:
Why is it that despite the existence of the prototype of the double-pole kicker, it has not been widely promoted in the military?

This time, Ma Chao thought for a long time before answering:
"Probably because...it's unnecessary."

Miwei: "Is it unnecessary?"

Ma Chao: "As mentioned before, the Han cavalry had long since crushed the Hu cavalry, and the Central Plains had been unified for more than four hundred years."

"Even if we only count from the restoration under Emperor Guangwu, it has been nearly two hundred years."

"Then what's the difference between a knight using a single stirrup or two stirrups?"

"Let alone stirrups, even cavalry tactics were something that only the youths of the border regions were truly skilled in in the past."

"It wasn't until the Jian'an era, when the world gradually descended into chaos and the feudal lords vied for supremacy, that the news was relayed back to the inner prefectures and subsequently became known to the heroes of the world!"

Upon hearing this, Mi Wei clapped his hands sharply, realizing what had happened:

"It turns out I was blinded by my own involvement! The truth was so straightforward and obvious!"

"It's just like building roads. Because it involves a lot of manpower, the government won't take the initiative unless they need something from the government."

"In everything in this world, there must first be a desire before anything else can follow!"

At this point, Mi Wei clasped his hands in a fist salute to Ma Chao and said:
"General's words have enlightened me greatly. Please allow me to perform the disciple's salute!"

He immediately bowed three times.

Ma Chao outwardly agreed with a smile, but inwardly he was inexplicably troubled.

This person is able to draw inferences from a few words.

His vision and wisdom not only surpass those of his peers, but also put veteran generals to shame.

I've made many regrettable decisions in my life.

But this time, Ma Dai was asked to become sworn brothers.

Probably not.

(End of this chapter)