Zuo Zongtang quickly climbed the steps, lowered the horseshoe sleeve, and was about to kneel, Guan Zhuofan had reached out to stop him, and said: "Ji Weng, although you and I have met for the first time, we have been friends for a long time, and we are real confidants, so we can't talk about these vulgar rituals!" ”

Guan Zhuofan was not pretending to be polite, he used his strength, and Zuo Zongtang's "national gift" was forcibly stopped. Guan Zhuofan took Zuo Zongtang's hand and walked in slowly.

Then asked Zuo Zongtang to change into civilian clothes, came to the study, and sat down to watch tea.

This famous figure in history is a short and fat old man, with strong muscles and bones, a strong body, a round face, full of red light, but full of muscles and muscles, and his cheeks are bulging. Guan Zhuofan smiled secretly in his heart, this shape really doesn't look like a scholar. Zuo Zongtang is as big as the sea, but he has a good foundation, and he has never been able to get into the Jinshi, which is a regret of his life, and I don't know if it has anything to do with this physiognomy?

Zuo Zongtang is full of Hunan soil accent, but the middle air is abundant, and the sound is like a bell. He first thanked Guan Zhuofan for borrowing foreign money, Guan Zhuofan said a few words of humility, and then said: "Ji Weng, don't worry, you are preparing for the opportunity in front, and the salary and grain roads in the rear are all under my errand. ”

Zuo Zongtang was overjoyed, got up and bowed, Guan Zhuofan also stood up, and returned the half-salute.

What about the salary, but the soldiers?

Guan Zhuofan asked: "The bitter cold in the northwest, the children of Chu Junhu Xiang, at this level, does Ji Weng have any plans?" ”

Zuo Zongtang secretly praised in his heart: This person's name is empty, just one sentence, and he asked the trick!

He said, "Yes." The Chu army was all southerners. 1. Intolerant of cold. Second, they are not accustomed to eating wheat, and the original class is pulled to the northwest, and the combat strength will be discounted. I only picked 3,000 elites, and recruited another 5,000 in Hunan, and these 8,000 are my own soldiers, so I will take these 8,000 soldiers out of the customs. Most of the rest are recruited locally in Shaanxi and Gansu. ”

Guan Zhuofan smiled and said: "Okay, work with Guanzhong Haojie!" ”

Zuo Zongtang's eyes lit up. I thought this is a wonderful statement! I couldn't help but laugh and said, "Bei Zi, who knows me!" Bei Zi said well, Zongtang just wants to 'share the cause with Guanzhong heroes'! ”

The two of them said that they were high-sounding, but Guan Zhuofan knew that the real reason why Zuo Zongtang acted like this was that most of the Chu army could not afford to fight anymore.

The armies with combat effectiveness at the end of the Qing Dynasty, such as the Hunan army, the Huai army, and the Chu army, all had a common characteristic, that is, they could only fight one war, and when this war ended, their morale would decline. It will be unusable. Historically, after the Hunan army defeated Hongyang. After the Huai army flattened the twist, this was the case, and from the general to the soldier, it was all the same.

Now, the Chu army is experiencing the same problem. Zuo Zongtang is the main force of Shaanxi and Gansu soldiers, and the difference between the north and the south, and the lack of adaptation to the water and soil are of course also reasons, but if it is only this one reason, why did Zuo Zongtang recruit 5,000 new soldiers in Hunan?

This kind of army, Guan Zhuofan called it a "one-time army".

After all, he was in the army at that time, but he was just "serving as a soldier and eating food", and if he wanted to arouse morale, he could only use the temptation of "getting rich", the so-called "happiness if he didn't die". When the war is over, they are really immortal, their pockets are full of silver, and the only thing to do is naturally "enjoy happiness", who wants to go to war again?

is still the same sentence, "The eagle can't be full, and if it's full, it's far away."

This is the most striking difference between the army of an agrarian society and the army of an industrial society.

Guan Zhuofan's construction and transformation of the Xuan Army is to reinvent the Xuan Army, an army born in an agricultural society, into an army of an industrial society.

It is quite interesting to inspect Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang, and Zuo Zongtang and their various mentalities and behaviors after the "war".

The imperial court sent Zeng Guofan to suppress the twist, but the old man Zeng was not interested, procrastinating, humming and chirping, and said it nicely, called "a high fearful slander, holding a profit and protecting Tai"; It is not good to say, that is, the heart has failed, and "let it go when you see difficulties".

The difference between Li Hongzhang and his teacher is that after the war ended, fame and fortune became more and more enthusiastic; The same thing as the teacher is that he doesn't want to fight anymore.

The original time and space, the important task of leveling back, the imperial court originally wanted to hand it over to the Huai army, but where was Li Hongzhang willing to do it? This job is extremely hard, there are no ten or eight years, it can't be done, and if you are not careful, it is possible to die in the northwest. The court had no choice but to return to the mission of Pinghui in the hands of Zuo Zongtang.

And Li Hongzhang ran his coastal defense in the rear with great interest. At that time, China's most important military construction was entrusted to a person who did not want to fight at all.

In a sense, in the First Sino-Japanese War, the poor performance of the Huai system on the two fronts of the sea and land was basically determined when Li Hongzhang desperately shirked the peace.

Zuo Zongtang is an outlier of that era - he still wants to fight the second battle after the first battle, and he wants to fight the third battle after the second battle, he does not necessarily love war, but he is really "brave in doing things", not picking fat or thin.

This is the real reason why Guan Zhuofan befriended and courteously treated Zuo: if one day "there is something in the world", Guan Zhuofan believes that there is only one Zuo Zongtang who can really cause him trouble in the huge China. If there is really a day, Guan Zhuofan hopes that Zuo Zongtang will not stand on the opposite side of him.

Zuo Zongtang said: "Shaanxi is in turmoil, Bei Zi reprimanded Fang You, it is up to Russia, this is the right time, I want to ask Bei Zi for benefits." ”

Guan Zhuofan said with a smile: "In front of the seniors, I didn't dare to show off casually, but I am peaceful, and I do have a little caution, so I will teach the Fang family and ask Ji Weng to be correct." ”

The first is to use cannons.

The bandits dragged their families with their mouths, and their mobility was not good, and most of them were stubbornly resisted by the fortress. Unless they occupy a big city, under normal circumstances, the fortress of the Hui bandits is mostly built of earth, and they cannot resist the bombardment of foreign cannons such as Napoleonic cannons.

Second, it is necessary to cooperate with the foot and ride.

The artillery was heavy and heavy, and the mobility of the officers and soldiers was no better than that of the Hui bandits, and the northwest region was open and vast, and the role of cavalry was very important. Guan Zhuofan's experience is that the cavalry should not be used for frontal assault, but is responsible for "disturbing the enemy" and "sticking to the enemy", so that the enemy can neither calmly rest and arrange the formation, nor can he get rid of the pursuit of our main infantry.

When the cavalry cooperates with the infantry to attack, it should also adhere to the principle of flank attack and do not run to the front of the enemy formation.

From Zuo Zongtang's vision, it is natural to see that Guan Zhuofan's two articles are indeed insightful, and they are even called "teachable" at the moment.

Guan Zhuofan sighed and said: "I am peaceful, and the biggest regret is that I failed to capture or kill Bai Yanhu. Among the bandit chiefs, this fang is the most cunning and fierce, if he can get rid of him in Gansu, it is the best, otherwise he will enter Xinjiang to quell the rebellion in the future, and there will be a long head and tail. Please pay attention to this. ”

Zuo Zongtang nodded deeply.

The two talked more and more enthusiastically, Zuo Zongtang felt that the heat was almost over, and finally put out the attempt that had been planned for half a year.

Zuo Zongtang said: "The Xuan army is a strong army in the world, I admire it so much!" This time the western expedition always has to rely on the strength of the Xuan army. Zong Tang was presumptuous, but he had a reluctant request: Can Beizi lend me a group of people to join the great cause? I also have an unfulfilled wish for Beizi! ”

Guan Zhuofan said with a smile: "Chu Jun, Xuan Jun, this is a family, but Ji Weng loves it?" I'll allocate two infantry regiments, an artillery regiment, and an engineer battalion for Tion's dispatch! ”

This request, before opening his mouth, Zuo Zongtang was not fully sure of his wish, but he didn't expect Guan Zhuofan not only to agree, but also to take the initiative to double, it was the hope that was very luxurious, and the gain was even more luxurious, I couldn't help but be overjoyed, got up and left the seat, and a thousand children went down, and said: "Thank you Beizi!" ”

Guan Zhuofan accepted his salute, and then returned the half-salute.

Zuo Zongtang said that this Xuan army maintains an independent establishment, "listens to the tune and does not listen to the announcement", and he is not regarded as a subordinate; The general who leads the army, he wants to ask for an increase in rank; All actions of the Xuan army must be approved by the general in advance.

Also, Zuo Zongtang said: "I know that the Xuan Army is in the army, using the Western method, this is naturally the same as before, and there is no need to make any changes." ”

Guan Zhuofan thought to himself: "Left Mule" is still very knowledgeable.

Seeing that the hour was not early, Guan Zhuofan said: "Ji Weng, do you still want to visit King Gong today?" ”

Zuo Zongtang thought about it at this time, replied "yes", took out a big pocket watch and looked at it, and couldn't help but say "ah". Guan Zhuofan smiled: "It's not too early, I won't leave you in vain." King Gong, I must keep you for dinner, I and a few military planes, probably all accompany guests, if you have anything to say, let's talk about it at dinner. ”

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