Liang Shanbo: The Poor Scholar-Emperor

Chapter 150 Given time, this child will surely achieve great things.

As dusk settled that evening, the sky gradually darkened.

When Liang Shanbo rode back from the camp outside the city and opened the courtyard gate, several lamps were already lit in the main room.

Zhu Yingtai waited in the hall; the food was prepared and kept warm on the stove, waiting for his return.

Actually, this can no longer be considered "feeding"; "dinner" would be a more accurate term, as it's past the normal feeding time.

Although the camp provided two meals a day, the food was coarse. Every evening, Liang Shanbo would return home for dinner, and Zhu Yingtai would always wait for him to eat with her.

Today's meal was still the Shangyu style carefully prepared by Li Yue'e, with three dishes and a soup, a good mix of meat and vegetables, which was much better than the food in the camp.

The couple sat facing each other under the lamp, not adhering to the rule of "not talking while eating," chatting about their experiences and observations of the day as they ate.

After dinner, the two took a bath and then went to bed early.

A lamp was lit by the bedside, casting a dim and warm glow.

Zhu Yingtai nestled gently in Liang Shanbo's arms and whispered, "Brother Liang, I received my mother's reply today."

Previously, Zhu Yingtai had written a letter home and sent it to the Zhu family manor in Shangyu to inform her parents that she and Liang Shanbo were in Guangling.

Liang Shanbo naturally knew about Liang Shanbo's current situation.

Liang Shanbo asked, "Oh? What did my aunt say in her letter?"

Zhu Yingtai said, "My mother said that everything is fine at home, that she and my father are both in good health, and that things are going well at the manor. She told us not to worry."

Mother also said that she and Father care about you very much. They were overjoyed to learn that you had joined the army and were leading an elite vanguard, achieving such success in the Guangling army. Your elder sister is also happy for you.

"My father and mother specifically instructed me to take good care of myself and not overwork. While military duties are important, your health is equally important."

After saying this, Zhu Yingtai couldn't help but have tears well up in her eyes.

In the lamplight, Liang Shanbo saw the brimming tears in her eyes. His heart softened, and he reached under the pillow for a plain handkerchief. He gently wiped away the tears that were about to fall from the corners of her eyes, and asked with a smile, "Did you miss your father and mother?"

Zhu Yingtai stretched out her arms and hugged him, letting out a muffled "hmm," with a rare hint of fragility in her voice.

Liang Shanbo hugged her tightly, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze on a winter night: "Ninth Sister, when we left Shangyu, I told you this. Once we've settled down in Guangling, you can go back to visit whenever you miss home. The journey may be long, but it's not like being separated by the ends of the earth, so you don't need to worry too much."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yingtai stopped crying and started laughing. She lifted her head from his embrace and gently poked his chest with her finger.

She laughed and said, "Guangling is so far from Shangyu. We've only been in Guangling for a little over a month. How could I possibly run back to Shangyu to visit them?"

I simply received a letter from home today and read my mother's words; I couldn't help myself for a moment.

Brother Liang, don't worry, I'm not that kind of delicate woman.

Back when I was studying at Wansong Academy, Qiantang wasn't that far from Shangyu, but I only went home once a year during festivals.

Now that she's a wife, is she actually more spoiled than when she was a daughter?

Liang Shanbo said, "That's good. But remember, if you really can't resist the urge to go home and visit, just tell me and we'll make arrangements together. Don't force yourself."

Zhu Yingtai nodded and buried her face in his chest again.

Liang Shanbo said no more, quietly holding her and gently patting her back.

Zhu Yingtai buried herself in his arms, but another matter was on her mind.

In her letter, besides reminiscing about family matters and reporting that she was safe, Wei also mentioned the matter of having children. Both she and Zhu Guang earnestly hoped that their daughter could give birth to a son as soon as possible, so that they could hold their grandson and make up for Zhu Guang's regret of having no sons.

Zhu Yingtai thought to herself, "I've tried my best, but as Brother Liang said before, bearing children is such a challenge..."

Things happen, and when they happen, you can't stop them; when they don't happen, you can't rush them. Although Mother's letter expresses concern, how can such things be rushed? I believe in Brother Liang, and I believe in fate; it will surely come in the future.

Liang Shanbo's vanguard battalion naturally needed a group of scouts.

Scouts are the vanguard soldiers who delve deep into enemy territory to gather intelligence; they are the eyes and ears of the entire army.

Throughout history, the outcome of many battles has not been determined by direct combat, but rather by a few pieces of intelligence from scouts.

Therefore, Liang Shanbo attached great importance to the matter of the scouts.

His method of selecting scouts differed from others.

In other camps, scouts are selected by choosing agile and strong soldiers who can run, dodge, and fight. If they can also read and write, that would be even better.

As for mental arithmetic skills and adaptability, these are mostly things that one must learn through trial and error in actual combat later on.

Those who survive are good scouts; those who don't are not.

Although this method is simple and brutal, it is common practice in the army.

Liang Shanbo, however, took a different approach.

He had the candidate scouts run ten miles on the training ground, each carrying a sandbag weighing about twenty pounds, and run around the training ground again and again.

After they had run ten miles, when they were panting and their legs were weak, they were immediately made to listen to a question and write their answers on the ground at the same time.

On this day, another round of selection of candidates was held on the training ground.

The ten scout candidates lined up, each one agile and skilled member of the vanguard battalion.

Some were hunters in the mountains, chasing roe deer and deer with ease; some had served as scouts in the army and had scout experience; and many more were elite soldiers who excelled in training in the vanguard battalion.

Luo Ning stood to the side of the formation, holding a command flag in his hand, and gave the order in a deep voice.

Ten candidate scouts carried sandbags on their shoulders and ran around the training ground.

At first, they were all full of energy and moved with light steps.

By the time they had run five miles, some people were already panting heavily and their steps had become heavy.

By the time they reached Bali, they were all drenched in sweat and their faces were flushed.

However, the ten candidate scouts were carefully selected; except for one who failed the ten-mile weighted run, the other nine...

They all successfully completed the entire course.

As soon as the nine men caught their breath, Luo Ning stepped forward and ordered them to line up in a row, facing the same direction, three steps apart, with a small piece of charcoal under each man's feet.

Luo Ning said sternly, "Listen carefully! I'll read out the question in a moment, and you'll calculate it in your heads. Once you're done, write the number on the ground. Ten breaths is the limit. When I say stop, everyone stop. No whispering, no glancing at others! Now, all of you squat down and pick up the charcoal."

The nine people squatted down together and picked up the charcoal.

Liang Shanbo stood with his hands behind his back in front of the nine men, his gaze slowly sweeping over the row of sweating soldiers. He didn't speak, but simply nodded to Luo Ning.

Luo Ning raised his voice and loudly proclaimed the first question in plain language that everyone in the army could understand: "First question."

You sneak up to the enemy camp, lie down in the grass and look across. They're starting a fire and cooking in the camp.

You counted them; there were about a hundred fires. But upon closer inspection, you noticed that half of the fires were not burning brightly, producing only wisps of smoke with little movement underneath; the other half were burning brightly, producing thick columns of smoke.

The question is, how many fires should you use to count the number of people on the other side?

After reading out the question, Luo Ning immediately began counting sternly: "One, two, three—"

Nine people held charcoal and wrote numbers on the ground.

Some people's hands trembled so much they couldn't even hold a piece of charcoal; others wrote down a number and then erased it and rewrote it.

After a count of ten, Luo Ning shouted, "Stop! Get up!"

The nine people stood up and revealed the answers they were standing on.

Liang Shanbo and Luo Ning swept them one by one.

Only four people wrote down the correct answer, "fifty".

Luo Ning then read out the second question: "The second question."

You sneaked into the enemy camp's stable and saw over a hundred horses tied up there.

There were about a hundred horses, with a ring of hair worn off their backs, their manes trimmed, and the tips of their horseshoes worn thin. They were fed beans in their mangers. There were also about fifty horses, with no wear marks on their backs, their manes tangled, their horseshoes thick-soled, and they were fed hay in their mangers.

The question is: Approximately how many warhorses were there? Approximately how many packhorses were there?

Two numbers, first the warhorse, then the packhorse, separated by a horizontal line!

After ten breaths, Luo Ning called a halt.

Nine people stood up and revealed their answers.

Only four people wrote down the correct answer "one hundred/fifty".

Luo Ning then read out the third question: "The third question."

You've already scouted the area; the enemy has about a thousand troops.

You took off running back, and after running for about ten miles, it suddenly dawned on you that you had overlooked a patrolling cavalry force to the south of the enemy camp. That cavalry force probably had about a hundred soldiers.

The question is, how many troops does the other side have?

After ten breaths, Luo Ning called a halt.

Nine people stood up and revealed their answers.

Only four people wrote down the correct answer: "one thousand one hundred".

As a result, only two of the three scout candidates answered all three questions correctly.

To Liang Shanbo's surprise, one of the two candidates for scout was Tian Ping.

Tian Ping was the soldier who had "killed" Yao Rong with a single spear thrust in a simulated battle. He was only eighteen years old and was thin and short.

His physical condition was not bad, and his mind was even sharper. After running ten miles with a heavy load, he quickly adjusted his breathing and answered the three questions accurately.

Liang Shanbo walked up to Tian Ping, looked down at the soldier who was almost a head shorter than him, and asked, "Tian Ping, would you be willing to be a scout?"

Tian Ping nodded: "I'm willing to join the army again."

Liang Shanbo asked, "Scouts are tasked with penetrating deep into enemy territory to gather intelligence; danger is inevitable. Are you afraid?"

Tian Ping nodded again: "I'm afraid to join the army again, but—even if I'm afraid, I'm willing to be a scout."

Liang Shanbo asked, "Why?"

Tian Ping truthfully replied, "The pay for scouts is good, and my mother, sister, and brother depend on my pay for living. Moreover, if you do a good job as a scout, you can be promoted."

Liang Shanbo nodded and immediately selected Tian Ping and the other two as scouts, incorporating them into the vanguard scout team for focused training.

Of the eight candidates eliminated today, some will have the opportunity to run again in the future.

Zhuge Kan, acting on Xie Xuan's orders, has come to the camp today to inspect military affairs. He is currently standing near Liang Shanbo, witnessing today's selection and reprimand.

The entire waiting process.

He looked at it for a long time, and the more he looked, the more novel it seemed.

He had seen many methods for selecting scouts: some involved soldiers wrestling, some involved them traversing mountains and valleys, and some involved them marching a hundred miles at a speed. But this was the first time he had ever seen soldiers run ten miles carrying heavy loads and then answer questions like this.

At this moment, he couldn't help but step forward a few steps, walk to Liang Shanbo's side, cup his hands and ask, "Military Advisor Liang, there is something I don't understand."

Scouts are valued for their speed, skill, and courage—a long-standing military tradition. Why does Military Advisor Liang insist on testing them in this way?

Liang Shanbo returned the greeting and calmly said, "Military Advisor Zhuge, Shanbo's method is not unconventional, but rather something I have thought about carefully before daring to implement."

The scouts' responsibility is not only to penetrate deep into enemy territory and gather intelligence, but also to accurately bring back the intelligence they have gathered.

A scout venturing deep behind enemy lines often has to travel long distances, leaving him exhausted and breathless.

At that time, the enemy camp was very close, and the pursuers could arrive at any moment. He had to quickly distinguish which cooking fires were real and which horses were for fighting, and quickly estimate how many troops the enemy camp had.

If one's mental calculations are unstable, one's mind is unclear, one misreads or mixes up information, the intelligence brought back will be useless, and erroneous intelligence may even lead our army into danger.

I selected scouts, striving for excellence. While speed, skill, and courage are crucial, mental arithmetic is equally important.

After listening, Zhuge Kan turned his gaze to Tian Ping and another scout selected that day, then nodded to Liang Shanbo: "I have learned a lot from Liang Shanbo's method today."

On this day, Zhuge Kan returned to the general's mansion and reported to Xie Xuan on the various matters he had inspected at the camp that day. He was particularly impressed by Liang Shanbo's method of selecting scouts.

He sat down at Xie Xuan's desk and recounted to Xie Xuan everything he had seen and heard, along with Liang Shanbo's discourse.

Finally, he remarked with emotion: "General, Liang's method of selecting scouts is ingenious. It is based on speed, skill, and courage, and also emphasizes mental acuity. This method may seem meticulous and complicated, but it is actually in line with the essentials of military strategy."

Scouts are the eyes and ears of the entire army; if their eyes and ears are not clear, the entire army will be blind; if their eyes and ears are not stable, the entire army will be in danger.

Although Liang is young, it is truly rare for him to be able to see the essence in such details and the long-term strategy in such trivial matters.

"I have seen many officers and generals, but one as thoughtful and meticulous as Military Advisor Liang, who values ​​both skill and intellect, is truly rare."

Xie Xuan sat behind his desk, listening quietly to Zhuge Kan speak.

On the desk in front of him lay a map of Jiangbei, marking the locations of various fortified villages, troop strength, and food reserves in Huaibei, indicating that he had just been studying it.

Previously, when he went to Jiankang to meet Emperor Sima Yao, his uncle Xie An had told him that the fortified villages in Pengcheng and Xiapi had troops and provisions, and were wavering between Qin and Jin. Subduing these fortified villages would be a great help, but if they were not dealt with properly…

However, it is a hidden danger.

Xie An also reminded him that this matter required a combination of kindness and severity, and that it would be best to win over a few prestigious fortified village chiefs so that they could control the rest of the fortified villages.

Xie Xuan is now focusing on this matter, which clearly indicates that it is quite troublesome.

Xie Xuan, the general in charge of military affairs in Jiangbei, had a very busy and demanding job that required a lot of mental effort and could also harm his health.

In comparison, Liang Shanbo's enlistment was much easier; he only needed to assemble and train an elite vanguard battalion.

At this moment, Xie Xuan listened to Zhuge Kan's words, picked up the cup of tea on the table that had gone cold, took a sip, and then said with a smile, "What you said coincides with my own thoughts."

When I first met Shanbo, I felt he was extraordinary. After getting to know him better, I felt even more that he was no ordinary person.

He is both literate and martial, possessing a solid foundation in classics and history, as well as exceptional martial arts skills and strategies. What is even more remarkable is his calm and meticulous nature; he is unhurried and attentive in everything he does.

Such a person would be a pillar of society wherever he is placed.

Given time, this child will surely achieve great things!

Zhuge Kan smiled slightly and said, "Although Military Advisor Liang is indeed a rare talent, without someone to appreciate and promote him, he will be difficult to become a pillar of society. General, you have a discerning eye, which is why he has become Military Advisor Liang today, and his talents can be fully displayed. If he wants to achieve great things in the future, he will need your support even more."

Xie Xuan smiled slightly, a smug look appearing on his face.