Fu Xiaoguan remained calm and collected.
"You must take this seriously. I'm not trying to flatter you, the General. Rather, I'm tasting the flavors of home in this table of dishes. What people call fine food is simply its appearance, aroma, and flavor, but what I consider to be fine food is flavors that resonate with the soul. This is Madam Yu's carefully crafted creation. May I borrow your wine to toast Madam Yu?"
Peng Yuyan was very happy and thought that this boy was an interesting person.
So the two of them drank a glass.
The dinner was a joyful one, and the strangers became familiar with each other and then became close.
Even Yu Chunqiu had already forgotten the two letters given to him by the Fourth Prince and Prince Hui.
The cups were dispersed and everyone sat around drinking tea again.
After some casual conversation, Peng Yuyan suddenly asked Fu Xiaoguan a question: "Last year, you wrote a paper in the Golden Palace on the strategy of war. My husband and I have been discussing it for a long time, but we still can't find the answer. I would like to take this opportunity to ask you, how can we train an elite army?"
Fu Xiaoguan pondered for a moment, thinking this might be the meaning of a test, so he smiled and said, "There are many ways to train soldiers. I remember it was written about in that policy paper. I've taken a rough look at the terrain here, and my suggestion is to select more than 20,000 people and conduct mountain training."
"I don't know if the Wu Dynasty would have to pass through the Qishan Corridor if they attacked, but since Qishan serves as a barrier, they would naturally have to cross the mountains. Qishan is a much better place for the main battlefield than this plain. So-called mountain training is nothing more than forcing soldiers to develop strong physiques, familiarize themselves with the mountain environment, and be able to walk on flat ground in the mountains. They primarily use bows and arrows, accompanied by short swords, and abandon their warhorses."
"There's no set outcome in war, so there's no set method either. You can place rolling logs and boulders where the enemy must pass, set traps, or even set the mountain on fire..."
Fu Xiaoguan spoke eloquently, from mountain scout patrols, to mountain military coordination, to rear cavalry charges, to how infantry cooperated with cavalry. In short, he spent less than half an hour, leaving Yu Chunqiu and Peng Yuyan stunned and almost overturning their understanding of war.
Fu Xiaoguan took a sip of tea and said, "I am telling you this seriously. This is not just empty talk!"
So, is he a scholar or a warrior?
Yu Chunqiu and his wife became skeptical about this, because what he said was plausible, and they even had a preliminary outline of the war in their minds. If his words could be realized, they believed that the southern border army would be the most powerful army in Dayu.
After another discussion, the two became more convinced that Fu Xiaoguan not only had the talent to govern the country, but also had the potential to be a general!
Yu Chunqiu sat up straight and let out a long sigh. "There's a saying in Shangjing that if I, a humble official, hadn't been born, the world would have been dark forever. When I first heard this, I just laughed, thinking the people of Shangjing were ignorant. But tonight, listening to your words has benefited me greatly. I finally understand that it's not that the people of Shangjing are ignorant, but that I lack that kind of knowledge. You truly deserve this saying! I, Yu Chunqiu, have admired very few people in my life. The few who did are now octogenarians. But you, before you even reached your twenties, have already impressed me. You are the best in the world!"
Fu Xiaoguan was ashamed because he was the one who said that.
"What a pity..." Peng Yuyan suddenly sighed, and then said slowly, "It's a pity that my daughter is already betrothed to someone else... How about we have a daughter now and betroth her to you in the future?"
…
Madam Yu's words frightened Fu Xiaoguan, but caused Yu Wenjun and Dong Shulan to laugh.
This was of course a joke, but it was enough to illustrate the status of Fu Xiaoguan in the hearts of these two people.
This is their husband!
They did not understand the military words just now, but they could tell from the expressions of Yu Chunqiu and his wife that what Fu Xiaoguan said must be right, otherwise how could he get their attention and recognition?
This is what it means to be able to rule a country with a pen and to pacify the world with a sword!
Of course they are proud!
Then they talked about poetry and articles, and talked about A Dream of Red Mansions and Stories of Youth in the Yu Dynasty, etc.
Fu Xiaoguan originally thought that Peng Yuyan, who came from a military family, was just interested in these things, but he didn't expect that she actually had quite a lot of insights into sacred studies and poetry. The two of them appreciated each other, and he realized in his heart that this woman was indeed a remarkable person. No wonder Yu Chunqiu married her, and her only wife.
The topic shifted to current affairs like the gentle spring breeze and drizzle that moistened the earth silently.
"You probably don't know yet, but there's unrest in the north again. It's not the barbarians moving south, but rather Gong Shenchang, hiding in the Pingling Mountains. This fellow has unknowingly swelled his army to over 50,000 men. The barbarians are behind him; I suspect they provided him with weapons and war horses. Over the past few months, he's plundered several towns near Xinzhou, using the stolen silver and grain to recruit the people of Pingling and Quyi counties—those two counties are so poor that the people can barely get enough to eat. They'll fight for anyone who gives them a bite to eat!"
Peng Yuyan sighed and continued, "Actually, no one wants to live a life of rebellion, but no one wants to starve to death either. Therefore, poverty is the root cause of unrest in a country!"
Fu Xiaoguan agreed. In a world where food was scarce, it was naturally impossible for these people to study. The poorer the place, the harder it was for people to learn. In Fu Xiaoguan's view, this wasn't their fault, because human beings' primary need was to survive, and that was what they pursued.
As for what kind of life you live, it obviously no longer matters.
So who is to blame?
It belongs to all scholars in the world, to all officials in the temple, and to the current emperor.
He naturally didn't say this out loud. He simply gave a helpless, wry smile, shook his head, and said, "A thousand-mile dam can be breached by a single ant hole. That place has been plagued by illness for a long time and is a major hidden danger to the Yu Dynasty. In fact, there are many such hidden dangers, such as Miaojiang and the Western Wilderness. Rebellion requires a large number of people. As you said, they will fight for anyone who gives them a bite to eat. These two places are also extremely poor, which makes them a breeding ground for rebellion."
Yu Chunqiu nodded. "So the root cause is still poverty. It would be great if we could make them rich. Sigh...!"
"Your Majesty is implementing a new economic strategy, but I estimate it will take time to see results, so these bandits must be suppressed. Are the northern border troops making any moves?"
"Yes, the current commander of the northern border army is Peng Chengwu, my father's adopted son, and he was once a great general under his command. I once wrote to him and asked about it. He said that the terrain of the Pingling Mountains is too complex, and that several attempts to suppress them have always failed. It's a pity. If he had a mountain division like the one you mentioned, this matter would be much simpler."
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