Chapter 29: Formation Changes
Saihazhi hadn't had high hopes for Zhu Yuhuan's assignment. After all, drawing a map wasn't easy, and Zhu Yuhuan's expression at the time revealed she wasn't a painter. However, the focus of this assignment wasn't on cartography, but on familiarizing herself with the border terrain. Saihazhi knew Zhu Yuhuan had been frequently using Shilin to mobilize new recruits from the Prefecture Frontier Guard to gain insights into the situation along the northern border, so she naturally turned a blind eye.
Having said that, Saihazhi did not expect Zhu Yuhuan to produce any reliable results. After all, she was still too young and had never even left the imperial city. The difficulty of the drawing course was still too high.
Therefore, when he saw Zhu Yuhuan's homework, Saihazhi was inevitably a little surprised.
"Because I was worried about mistakes and omissions, and to make it easier for the master to check, Huanhuan prepared several more. This is a document, and these two are maps, one in black and white, and one in color."
Saihazhi looked at Zhu Yuhuan laying out his three homework assignments in front of him, and he was dumbfounded, which was rare for him. After a while, he cleared his throat and said, "Ahem... Young Master, thank you for your trouble."
Zhu Yuhuan said with a smile: "Master, please check it."
Saihazhi briefly looked through it. Although it was a record of other people's oral statements, Zhu Yuhuan checked it carefully and also made additional notes on the places that were not sure.
As for the two maps, Zhu Yuhuan's painting skills were average, but they were very distinctive. If I had to praise them, I would only say "neat". However, Saihazhi also had some knowledge of maps, and at least he could roughly understand what the markings on Zhu Yuhuan's map meant.
Zhu Yuhuan was worried that Saihazhi wouldn't understand, so he patiently explained, "I've marked them on the side. This shape represents a mountain range, and this one represents a forest..."
Saihazhi smiled and said, "I understand this."
Zhu Yuhuan was quite surprised and said, "You can tell from this?" After she finished speaking, she felt that she was complaining about herself and changed the subject, "I showed it to Captain Shi before, but he couldn't recognize it at all."
"Although I remain in the capital as the commander of the Imperial Guard, I also followed the emperor on his campaigns when he was young. I am naturally very familiar with the border terrain. Even if the young master does not explain it to me, I can still understand it."
Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but admire him and said, "Master, you haven't left Beijing for quite some time, right? You still remember the entire topography of the northern border by heart. That's truly amazing."
"Not only the north, but also the southern border, I remember it clearly, and I can recite it now." Saihazhi said with some emotion, "When I was young, I didn't have the same studious spirit as you, the young master. I fought wherever I could. It was only after the emperor's guidance that I began to familiarize myself with military tactics, battle formations, and national maps, and understand how the Ming Dynasty's officials operate. That's how I became the minister I am today."
Zhu Yuhuan saw that he seemed to be recalling his past military career and the friendship between him and Zhu Di. He did not say anything, but just looked at Saihazhi quietly as his eyes gradually became moist.
Saihazhi realized he had lost his composure and said hastily, "I'm sorry for being rude just now... I was just thinking about the past and suddenly felt something..."
Zhu Yuhuan didn't think it was rude and consoled him, "We are not plants or trees, so who can be heartless? If I were to stand on this training ground again someday and recall my conversation with Master today, I would surely burst into tears."
Saihazhi was comforted by her, and his originally agitated mood gradually calmed down. He cleared his throat and said, "My young master is so thoughtful. Then make a map for the south, west, and east. When the emperor returns and sees it, he will definitely be impressed by your thoughtfulness."
When Zhu Yuhuan heard him mention Zhu Di, his heart sank.
They...will probably never be seen again.
Noticing Saihazhi's gaze, Zhu Yuhuan immediately smiled and said, "Okay, when I have memorized the map of the entire country, my great-grandfather might praise me for having the elegance of my great-grandmother."
Saihazhi was somewhat relieved, and then said: "Since the young master has handed in the homework, then I should also fulfill my promise."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuhuan's eyes lit up and he said, "Really? Master is going to take me to see the formation?"
Seeing her so excited, Saihazhi couldn't help but find it amusing. He said, "Of course. How could I go back on my word? My lady, please go to the high platform in the training ground with me."
The teacher and the student went up to the high platform of the training ground together. The soldiers below had already lined up and were waiting, each holding a weapon, looking energetic, with a red silk tied around their arm.
Although there were not many people, the soldiers were fully armed and looked quite imposing. It was obvious that Saihazhi had made preparations in advance. No matter what the results of Zhu Yuhuan's studies were, Saihazhi would fulfill his promise.
Zhu Yuhuan held the railing with one hand, feeling both excited and nervous, afraid of missing even a single minute.
Just as she was waiting, a sound like a horn sounded in the distance. The soldiers lined up below began to move rapidly, gradually spreading out from their original square formation to scattered teams of three. Compared to the previous formation, although the number of people in each team had decreased, they remained orderly and methodical.
"This is called a sparse formation. Evacuate all personnel. This is used to expand the position so that we can quickly occupy advantageous terrain." Seeing Zhu Yuhuan nod, Saihazhi waved to the people on the opposite platform. Looking at the gradually changing formation, he explained: "Small groups of troops move forward, like geese spreading their wings. This is to spread out the team and take the lead in attacking with bows and arrows. This is the Goose Flying Formation."
Zhu Yuhuan saw that they all took off their bows and arrows, aimed at the target and shot quickly.
"The enemy's offensive is imminent. To prevent the team from being dispersed and cut off, the wings of the goose gather together and form several formations. If the enemy's formation becomes disordered, the formation will transform into a cone-shaped formation to pierce the enemy's ranks."
While listening to Saihazhi's introduction, Zhu Yuhuan watched the changes in the formation below, but his attention was gradually attracted by the person waving the flag opposite.
After Saihazhi finished explaining the formations one by one, Zhu Yuhuan asked curiously, "Master, this battlefield is no small training ground. When we get on the battlefield, will we also have to watch the waving flags transform the eight formations?"
Saihazhi couldn't help laughing when he heard that, and then said, "It seems that the young master is very clear that these eight formations come from "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. They are things that everyone is familiar with, but now the formations have to change with the different enemies." After that, he waved to the opposite side, and the soldiers who were waving the flags on the platform immediately retreated. The team tied with red silk gradually retreated, and another team with blue silk ribbons appeared on the training ground.
"The armies we're facing now are mostly Tatars. The Tatars are good at raising horses, and they have a large number of cavalry. Most of their mounts are taller and larger than our warhorses, so our infantry soldiers will use sabers to cut off the enemy cavalry's legs. However, in Annan, with its hot climate and the bites of mosquitoes, soldiers would rarely be equipped with such cumbersome weapons, so there would be no need to add the step of cutting off the horses' legs to the formation."
Zhu Yuhuan nodded in understanding and said, "I understand. It means that the formation must be adapted to the local conditions and the specific remedy must be used. Different tactics should be used against different enemies. Only in this way can we win every battle."
Seeing this, Saihazhi couldn't help but sigh: "The young master is very quick in understanding."
Zhu Yuhuan said with a grin, "It's useless to understand quickly. What counts is to be able to actually do it. I've heard that being able to command ten or a hundred people isn't impressive. Being able to command thousands or even tens of thousands of people is what makes a true general."
"Yes, the Emperor always personally leads an army of ten thousand. To command such a force and crush the Tatars is a true warrior," Saihazhi continued. "And when commanding so many men, the commander's talent and ability are one thing, but even more important is that his soldiers can work together and obey your commands. Only through diligent daily training can they become as swift as the wind, as quiet as the forest, as aggressive as fire, as still as a mountain, as unpredictable as the shadow, and as powerful as thunder."
Zhu Yuhuan nodded in understanding. She was concentrating on watching the changes in the formation below when she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. A young eunuch, a few years older than her, walked over quickly and said, "My lady, the Crown Princess wants you to go back."
Zhu Yuhuan blinked, glanced at him first, then said goodbye to Saihazhi, followed him down the platform, and walked out of the training ground.
The two of them left the training grounds together. As soon as they reached the deserted palace road, the young eunuch knelt down hurriedly and said, "My dear, General Liu has ordered his men to ride back to the capital at full speed to secretly deliver the news. They say...the emperor has passed away!"
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