The Multiverse Starting from White Deer Plain

After talking with Liu Qi about the military affairs of Jingzhou Prefecture at the Zhizhou Mansion, Bai Gui resigned and left.

No need to bother me any more.

It's just that compared to before, when Bai Gui walked out of Zhizhou's mansion, he had an extra good simple knife hung on the saddle of his horse.

This is what Liu Qi used in the past.

After the peace talks in Shaoxing, Liu Qi, a famous general, was also sent to Nanshan and took up the civil position of magistrate. He no longer led the army in war, so he gave this simple sword to Bai Gui, his close nephew.

In this world, although Bai Gui wears a sword, he travels in casual clothes, while scribes wear swords. In the Han Mansion, he had been learning battlefield killing from Han Shizhong. The sword he used was too light, so he picked up his Guanshan knife again.

Guanshan knives are knives made by later generations of knifemakers based on the simple knives made in the Song Dynasty.

It's just that the former has a short handle and the latter has a long handle.

The Pu Dao has a short head, a long handle, and no sheath. The long handle can be removed from the head and used as a rod. .

The simple swords Liu Qi gave to Bai Gui were all made of iron. They were not ordinary simple swords popular among the people, but more like the Qinglong Yanyue sword used by the martial sage Guan Yu.

A single horse walks down the street.

From time to time, he went to a neighborhood in the south of Jingzhou City, found Li Zheng, and showed his tooth tag.

As Tang Wan said, officers who have reached Bai Gui's level no longer need to hang out with lower-level officers in the military camp, and have private residences in Jingzhou City.

Li Zheng greeted him personally and called a few rough servants to clean the court.

Although this house is located in a remote place, it is only the second entrance. There are not many interior features and it looks relatively simple. But Bai Gui was used to living a hard life in the early years, so this small problem was nothing to him.

As for Liu Qi, although he values ​​​​more, he obviously will not make too many arrangements in this aspect.

If you can't bear this small setback, why bother joining the army? Just go home and become a scribe. Although it is not as simple as food and clothing, it is still a test in disguise.

The maid cleaned up and left.

When Bai Gui moved in, he was calm and had no arrogance at all.

Ten days later.

Bai Gui went to the magistrate's mansion again to visit Liu Qi.

Liu Qi said about this incident, "My nephew was born into a wealthy family and lives in a shabby alley. He has never shown any sign of resentment. It seems that Han Liangchen really has a good disciple."

Sometimes, when reading history books, the test of the ancients is very simple.

But the simpler it is, the more you can test your true temperament.

For example, Lu Zhi, an upright official in the Tang Dynasty, once visited Zhang Yi, the famous governor of Shouzhou at that time. Zhang Yi thought that Lu Zhi was a rare genius, so when he left, he gave Lu Zhi a million dollars, but Lu Zhi only accepted some tea leaves, but refused the other money. Later, Lu Zhi received a lot of benefits because of his reputation for integrity, and he was promoted to prime minister.

Maybe there really is something up his sleeve.

But in other words... If you don't even have the ability to maintain this scheming, then there is no need to talk about any test.

Regardless of whether there is scheming or not, if you can do this, you have already surpassed many people.

In Liu Qi's view, Bai Gui is the son of a rich family. He grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was a boy boy at a young age, and then won the top prize in martial arts. For such people to go to the back alleys, it's okay to live in a day or two, but in ten days , which proves that his character can be cultivated.

"Uncle Liu, thank you very much."

"The Master said: Eat sparingly, drink water, bend your arms and rest your head on it, and enjoy yourself there. I heard that Uncle Liu was choosing good soldiers for me and preparing a lot of weapons. From this point of view, Jingzhou City is the best. The mansion is only a hundred or so, and it is not worth a good horse."

"I dreamed of many good horses, so why worry about living in this shabby alley?"

Bai Gui looked calm and replied.

What the "Han Family Army" wants is not a humble gentleman, but a junior who is good at enterprising, so as to maintain their interests and connections and continue their "tradition".

So the meaning of Bai Gui's words is obvious.

He didn't mind such a simple life because Liu Qi was arranging elite soldiers and weapons for him. A fine mansion in Jingzhou City only costs more than a hundred guan, but a good horse is worth at least hundreds of guan. It is clear who is better and who is worse.

Even if he just resells ordnance, he can still make a lot of money.

Why care about living in the back alleys for these ten days?

"Good! As expected of Po Han Wu's disciple."

When Liu Qi saw this, he couldn't help but slapped the case and praised loudly.

This sentence greatly changed Bai Gui's impression in his heart. Quoting Confucian scriptures, this is the seedling of a Confucian general and a cultured one. Quoting Confucian classics but not sticking to them is a way to change the battlefield. At the same time, being good at sizing up situations and being patient is one of the most important factors in becoming a commander-in-chief.

Don't look at the fact that some veteran generals on battlefields look down on Confucian generals who came from civil servants, thinking that they are giving blind orders. But privately, each of them has never lacked in the teachings of their descendants, and they all want to become generals and have a few more Confucian generals.

"Five days later, I will give you a battalion of cavalry, one man and one horse. The remaining four battalions will be fully staffed and will not be paid for free. Anyway, with your family background, you will not be short of the money for free pay. I’ll give you eight hundred-year-old iron armor, one thousand leather armors, and three thousand paper armors..."

Liu Qi set the official document with a stroke of his pen on the document.

In these ten days, one is to examine Bai Gui's temperament to determine how much investment he will make in this "good nephew"; the other is to mobilize the Jingzhou Prefecture's treasury armaments and calculate the appropriate amount. , and then give it to the newly established Forbidden Army.

The previous Forbidden Army had too many soldiers and officers, and was too severely underpaid, so the Privy Council decided to form a new Forbidden Army in Jingzhou Prefecture.

"Thank you uncle."

"But... I only need 300 of these 500 horses. I will ask my uncle to replace the remaining 200 horses with mules. My nephew will imitate Li Xilie and form a mule army."

Bai Gui thought for a moment and said solemnly.

The Mule Army was not a specialty of the Nian Army in the late Qing Dynasty. Li Xilie, the military governor of Huaixi in the Tang Dynasty, formed a Mule Army, and Li Xilie's Mule Army was also very capable in battle.

There is a saying in the "Old Tang Book": "People were robbed by Xilie... Since there were few horses in the land, there were many mules, and they used them to fight. They were called the mule army, and they were particularly brave."

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng also formed an army of 20,000 mules for combat.

The Nian Army was able to use its mule army to defeat Senggelinqin's elite cavalry many times.

And he had the advanced experience of the Nian Army and formed a mule army. Even if it was not as good as the Nian Army, it was still much better than being without horses.

As for why these two hundred war horses were abandoned, there was a reason...

War horses were military-controlled materials in the Southern Song Dynasty and were difficult to purchase by private individuals. But if we don't give up these two hundred war horses, we can't exchange them for mules. Because the Forbidden Army was paid by the Song Dynasty, not by his free money. Even if he could buy so many mules for his free money, he would not be able to donate them to the Forbidden Army. Once he does this, wouldn't this forbidden army become his private property? This is a taboo for a general, and is even more terrifying than using power for personal gain.

The imperial court can tolerate you eating empty pay and drinking soldiers' blood, but it will never allow you to show such kindness to the soldiers under your command.

"Mule Army..."

Liu Qi frowned, and Zhu Bidun typed on the slip, "Li Xilie established the Mule Army in Huaixi because it occupied Caizhou, Bianzhou, Ruzhou, and Dengzhou, and the terrain was flat. The reason why the Song Dynasty abandoned the Mule Army Firstly, mules are difficult to use on the battlefield because of their unstable temperament. Secondly, training mules is expensive and difficult to use. Thirdly..."

He gave a lot of reasons.

"Everyone knows what my uncle said, but the Mule Army is short of horses in the Song Dynasty, and there is no way to do anything about it."

"I don't want you to try it. If it doesn't work, my nephew is not stubborn. He will try it for a while. If he can, he can learn the method of training mules, which will be beneficial to the country. Although he will not defeat the Jin people with this method, he can use the mule army to defend without worries. also."

Bai Gui cupped his hands and said.

Liu Qi's frown gradually relaxed, and he nodded. Bai Gui's words spoke to his heart. Anyway, it was just a try, and it didn't take much effort. It would naturally be a good thing if it didn't work. It can also be regarded as a training for Bai Gui.

"Since you have made up your mind, my uncle will not dissuade you."

"Two hundred war horses, one war horse can be exchanged for two to three mules at the market price, but this is the market price..." In the "General Strategy of Military Affairs" it is said: 'Each army group buys a donkey.', what do you think? The army should have two hundred and fifty donkeys, but now I will adjust the number for you and give you eight hundred donkeys..."

he said.

Bai Gui made a mental calculation.

Three hundred war horses, plus eight hundred donkeys and mules. It is impossible for all of these eight hundred donkeys and mules to be used for riding. One hundred are used for transportation and carrying goods. If each camp is closer, then there will be enough left. Seven hundred donkeys and mules, for a total of about a thousand "cavalry".

One thousand cavalry, if used properly, can be enough to influence the outcome of a great battle.

It is already considered a very strong force.

"Thank you uncle."

Bai Gui then thanked Liu Qi.

"Although your master has taught you the art of war, training cavalry cannot be accomplished in an instant. If there is anything you don't understand, don't hold back, come and ask me."

"Don't be embarrassed..."

Liu Qi said these last words and waved his hand to ask Bai Gui to step back.

The eight hundred donkeys and mules were basically not sent out by the imperial army, but by the local civil affairs and Xiang army in Jingzhou Prefecture. Liu Qi was busy with the rest.

It is no easy task to recruit so many idle mules.