Guan Zhuofan expected it very accurately, after Zuo Zongtang said goodbye, it didn't take long for King Gong's post to be sent.

When Guan Zhuofan arrived at Prince Gong's Mansion, Wen Xiang, Bao Jun, Cao Yuying, and Xu Gengshen had already arrived. The whole class of military aircraft accompanied Zuo Zongtang to dinner, and Zuo Jigao's face was really not small.

After three rounds of drinking, Zuo Zongtang's words increased.

Talking about the deployment of the Western Expedition is natural, in addition to his own strategy, he also discusses the past and the present, talks about hand-painting, and talks endlessly.

Let's talk about the former Han Dynasty first, Zuo Zongtang said: "Wei Changping and Huo Guanguan, although they are geniuses, but today, with troops in the Western Regions, they can no longer fight like them!" Don't say that you spend too much money, don't cut the grass and don't remove the roots, 'the spring breeze blows and grows'! The general of the former Han Dynasty, the one that my generation should follow the most, is Zhao Chongguo. Zhuang Hou first advocated Tuntian, which is the fundamental plan of the border area of Xiding, even in terms of consumption, it is also the most economical. ”

Zuo Zongtang moved out of Zhao Chongguo, but he won Guan Zhuofan's heart! Not only the two Han Dynasty, but also the entire cold weapon era combined, Zhao Chongguo is one of the military generals that Guan Zhuofan admires the most. He nodded, "What Ji Weng said is very true. I read the "Book of Han", and the former Han generals were shining brightly, but there were only one and a half who really knew the way of economy and could plan for the country as a whole: one Zhao Chongguo, and half Feng Fengshi. ”

Zuo Zongtang patted the table lightly, moved the color, and said loudly: "Beizi Gaojian!" Later, the general went to the "Tuntian Song", well, "The ministers will eat the horses and cattle, and the monthly grain is 199,630 hundred, the salt is 1,693 hundred, and the canon is 250,286 stones." It is difficult to understand for a long time, and the conscription continues. ’”

Zhao Chongguo's position before his death was a general, and after his death, he was a marquis. He gave Emperor Xuan's "Tuntian Song". It's not a "famous article" with gorgeous words. There are also many numbers that have never been of interest to Chinese literati. But Zuo Zongtang actually recited it casually, this ability, Guan Zhuofan didn't have it. He couldn't help but admire in his heart, the "left mule" is above the top, it is not unreasonable!

The rest of the military planes looked at each other and couldn't help but be slightly shocked.

Zuo Zongtang recited more and more vigorously: "'...... I am willing to dismiss the cavalry, stay and be recruited, and the infantry and officials of Huaiyang and Runan. Hefan 1,281 people, 27,363 grains, 388 salts' - the division is so clear, where can ordinary warriors do it? If there is a huge hill and a ravine in the chest, you can't do it! ”

Zuo Zongtang said this, Guan Zhuofan really felt a sense of pity for this Zuo Jigao! He smiled: "Zhao Chongguo is indeed not an ordinary martial artist, he has been a lieutenant of Shui Heng. ”

Captain Shui Heng was in charge of Lin Yuan, and also took care of the royal finances, coinage, shipbuilding, water control and other matters, which was regarded as the emperor's personal money bag. At the same time, the time of the former Han Dynasty. The state system is still relatively sparse, and the fiscal revenue and expenditure are on top. The division between the royal family and the government is not very clear, the emperor not only spends the government's money, but the government also spends the emperor's money, so the part-time job of the Shui Heng Lieutenant also includes some of the functions of today's household department and the Ministry of Industry.

In short, this position requires the principal to have economic acumen and be able to calculate the accounts clearly and thoroughly.

Zuo Zongtang was slightly stunned, then frowned, raised his head, it was a careful recollection, for a moment, his brows stretched out, the expression on his face was already surprised and happy, and said: "That's right, Beizi sees it deeply - Zongtang admires!" ”

admired Guan Zhuofan, not only Zuo Zongtang, but also several other military planes listened to it, and they were also quite shocked. None of them can see this layer. Xu Gengshen remembered what he had said, "Yixuan, you don't read history", and couldn't help sweating on his back.

In the Qiang Rebellion of Emperor Xuan of the former Han Dynasty, the mainstream opinion in the court, represented by Xin Wuxian, was the story of imitating Wei and Huo, "Thirty days of rations, division of troops and out", and then swept away, but Zhao Chongguo opposed it.

Zhao Chongguo's strategy: First, at that time, Jincheng and Huangzhong Valley were cheap, and one was no more than eight yuan, and he suggested that the imperial court should purchase it locally, which could not only enrich its own military rations at the lowest cost - if it was transferred from the Guannei, the cost would be ten or even dozens of times; At the same time, this move cut off the Qiang people's food route, and "the Qiang people did not dare to move".

Second, Tuntian, step by step, encroached on the Qiang people little by little.

After several discussions, Emperor Xuan finally took Zhao Chongguo's suggestion as the main one, and the Qiang rebellion was soon pacified.

The two paragraphs recited by Zuo Zongtang, the cost of the former and the latter, are more than ten times different, the reason is that the former guards and Huo stories need to use cavalry; The latter tuntian, mainly infantry.

In the era of cold weapons, the cost of training and using cavalry by the agrarian regime was extremely staggering, not only more than ten times or dozens of times that of the infantry, but also the difference between the cost and that of the nomadic regime. Historically, the Central Plains agrarian regime faced difficulties against the northern nomadic regime, and the fundamental reason was that the cost of war was too high, not that some people's brains made up "the Chinese are weak in literature and cannot defeat the barbarians" Yunyun.

Fighting a war is fighting logistics, national strength is the foundation of war, and clever plans are nothing more than silver and copper coins.

Being able to take the cost of war as the starting point, from strategic thinking to campaign layout, make overall plans, and implement the "digital management" that is most lacking in agricultural society - even accurate to single digits, is this Zhao Chongguo from time in time?

Guan Zhuofan believes that Zhao Chongguo is a real military "model" in the era of cold weapons. The so-called "model" is something that ordinary people can learn: if ordinary people can't learn it, they can't make a "model".

For example, in terms of military skills alone, Zhao Chongguo has not reached the height of Huo Quai, but Xiao Huo is a genius and belongs to the open-hook character, his battlefield feeling, in the vast sea and the yellow sand, the ability to accurately capture the enemy's traces is not something that ordinary people can learn. Therefore, although Huo Qu's disease is more bullish, it is not enough. If you change your way of playing according to Xiao Huo, you have to be wiped out.

But settling accounts like Zhao Chongguo is theoretically anyone, the difference is whether there is this consciousness or not, and whether it is understood or not.

In addition, Zhao Chongguo "often takes distant scouts as his business, must be prepared for war, must be strong, especially able to hold on to his duties, love soldiers, and plan first and then fight" - this is simply a textbook for combat readiness in the era of cold weapons, these are all done, even if the opponents are Xiao Huo and Yue Fei, they may not necessarily lose.

Guan Zhuofan thought that the three chapters of Zhao Chongguo on the Tuntian incident included in the "Book of Han" were one of the most important documents in Chinese military history, and they could be compared to classics such as "Sun Tzu's Art of War" and "The New Book of Discipline and Effectiveness".

Zuo Zongtang talked about the rise, from Zhao Wengsun to Ban Dingyuan, from the Han Dynasty to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and then talked about the deeds of the dynasty, the three conquests of the Holy Ancestors, and the leveling and returning of Gaozong's "Ten Great Martial Arts", and so on. Later, even Guan Zhuofan couldn't interject into his mouth, and the whole room listened to Zuo Zongtang talking alone, like a "speech". He was full of energy, his voice was loud, and he had several big military planes, and his brain hurt when he heard it.

After the worst, Zuo Zongtang finally couldn't bear it anymore, his old temper attacked, and he began to scold Li Hongzhang and Huaijun.

Guan Zhuofan perked up, and thought to himself, Zuo Zongtang's "hobby", wild history anecdotes have been circulated for more than a hundred years, and it turned out to be true!

The rest of the people, King Gong smiled and didn't say anything, Baojun and Guan Zhuofan are the same, it is very interesting, Cao Yuying and Xu Gengshen are two juniors, they are juniors, it is not easy to say anything, only Wenxiang is kind and serious, and the more he listens, the more he feels inappropriate. On this occasion, after all, the whole class of military aircraft is there, and it has the meaning of discussing political affairs, not a pure private meeting between friends, Zuo Zongtang attacked Li Hongzhang too much, and it was rumored that some people would think that the imperial court was between Zuo and Li, and there was something to prosper.

So looking at the vacancy, Wen Xiang smiled and said to Zuo Zongtang: "Ji Weng, I guess you will go to visit Pan Boyin early tomorrow morning." ”

Zuo Zongtang was stunned for a moment, and then Ha Lu Ha Da laughed and said: "Yes, I want to thank Pan Boyin for his sentence, 'The country cannot be without Hunan for a day, and Hunan cannot be without Zuo Zongtang for a day'!" ”

King Gong and Guan Zhuofan exchanged glances slightly.

Wen Xiang smiled and said: "Pan Boyin is very fond of gold and stone, the ground in Shaanxi is quite rich in this thing, Ji Weng this expedition to the west, if he can bring back a few tablets to Pan Boyin, the so-called 'sword to the hero', it will be a good story." ”

Zuo Zongtang's eyes lit up and said, "Bo Weng is taught!" ”

Wen Xiang interrupted like this, and finally stopped Zuo Zongtang's words of scolding Li Hongzhang.

After the banquet and tea party, the night was already thick, and Zuo Zongtang was sent away first, and then the guests said goodbye one after another. This dinner was a Manchu and Han banquet carefully renovated by the kitchen of Prince Gong's Mansion, but none of the guests were really full, and they were all "full". When they return home, every man will have to look for something to satisfy his hunger.

"Zuo Jigao's words are rice", although it makes people cry and laugh, it has also become an officialdom anecdote.

*(To be continued......)