Although there is a holiday today, the fifty officers who have been trained as officers in the teaching team are all nervously preparing to review what they have learned during this time...... Except for Xu Ping.

"Phew—"

Jin Shentong grabbed the war horse, and when he turned around, Xu Ping also rode his horse to arrive. Jin Shentong looked at Xu Ping, who was sweating profusely, and said with a smile: "Brother Xu's equestrian skills have improved, but it is still slower." ”

"yes." Xu Ping gasped. Just now, Jin Shentong ran around the boss with him, and now Xu Ping's body is so tired that he is about to fall apart. He wiped his sweat and said: "I am really busy on weekdays, and the training horses in the teaching team can't take their turns, that is, I can only ride well for a while when I go to Brother Jin." ”

The country is in full swing, and there is an urgent need for war horses everywhere, and the number of war horses of the new army is limited. It stands to reason that since they plan to train cavalry, they can't feel sorry for the horses, but the teaching team and the new army have not yet fought, but a large number of horses die every month, and they are still constantly impeached by the imperial history, and many scholars think that the new army is wasting military resources. Every time a non-combat training unit like the training team reported the loss of war horses, the military headquarters was always angry, repeatedly threatening to send people down to conduct a thorough investigation, and even stopped supplying horses to the training team. In this case, the teaching team had to limit the use of horses by the trainees.

When Xu Ping wanted to practice equestrianism, he was too lazy to line up at the teaching team, and always relied on his relationship with Jin Shentong to run to the Zhiwei military camp to use the war horses of the Zhiwei. After Xu Ping wiped the sweat off his head, Jin Shentong asked, "Are you happy today?" ”

"It's a pleasure! Thanks to Brother Kim. If you want to say that it is better to guard directly, not only are there enough war horses, but each soldier can be equipped with four handguns. Xu Ping jumped off the horse with a satisfied face and led it to the shade of the tree on the side of the road: "This horse is much taller than the horse of the teaching team." ”

"I picked each of these military horses, and there is not a single horse that I have not seen with my own eyes, and the direct guard pays the military department another ten taels of silver for each horse." Jin Shentong followed him to the shade of the tree and stroked his mount lovingly: "If you don't go to the military department to argue, they will just give you some ponies and send them away, two or three hundred catties of ponies like donkeys, and they can't even carry a burden." ”

Xu Ping expressed his worries to Jin Shentong: "I heard Instructor Song say that the training time of each qualified cavalry should be at least doubled, and now the teaching team can only conduct simple training. Xu Ping said worriedly: "I'm worried about the cavalry of our army, I don't know how they will behave on the battlefield." ”

"Instructor Song is actually too worried, although the training of our cavalry is not up to the requirements, it is still much stronger than other military towns. Besides, don't you still have me, I will train them strictly. ”

"The problem of lack of horses in other military towns should be more serious than that of our new army, right?"

"Of course, Hou Ye complained behind his back that our Ming army is a 'digital army'." After Jin Shentong said this, he couldn't help laughing.

"Numbers? Digitization? Xu Ping didn't understand the meaning of the word.

"Yes, many of our Ming armies are numbers on the books, and they only exist on the books, so they are 'digital troops'." Jin Shentong blinked: "Brother Xu, guess what, how many military horses are on the books in the horse breeding land on the three sides of Shaanxi?" ”

Xu Ping shook his head and said, "I don't know about this. ”

"There are 570,000 military horses! There are also more than two million mares. Jin Shentong gave a thumbs up to his right hand and waved a strengthened tone in front of Xu Ping's eyes: "On the books, in Shaanxi alone, there will be 100,000 foals born every year, in addition to the Qin army's own use, Shaanxi can provide 10,000 war horses to the Ministry of War every year, 20,000 horses, and more than 30,000 other military horses, post horses, stallions, and pack horses." But ......"

Jin Shentong smiled and asked, "But if Brother Xu guesses again, how many are there?" How many military horses does Shaanxi actually provide to the Ministry of War every year? ”

Xu Ping pondered for a moment, and finally shook his head: "I don't know, I can't guess." ”

Jin Shentong said happily: "Actually, there is not a single horse, not even a horse bone!" Not only could the horses on the three sides of Shaanxi not be able to provide military horses to the military department, but even the horses used by the Qin army themselves had to be purchased from merchants. These millions of horses are only written on the books of the Ministry of War, and there is nothing but those numbers, which is called a 'digital army'. ”

"This ......" Xu Ping found it difficult to accept this answer, he paused for a long time, lowered his voice and asked, "This can't be someone slandering the imperial court, right?" How could this be concealed from the emperor and the cabinet. ”

"Brother Xu doesn't have to be so nervous, it's not a secret at all, everyone in the Manchu Dynasty knows about civil and military affairs. Of course, these can't be hidden from the cabinet, but it's hard to say whether the emperor knows about it or not. Jin Shentong was amused by Xu Ping's cautious demeanor, and said, "Even if the emperor knew it in his heart, he would never ask." ”

"Why!?"

"Because my rule in the Ming Dynasty is that 'new officials are not counted as old official accounts'......" Jin Shentong told Xu Ping that these horse breeding lands in Shaanxi were all set when the Ming Dynasty built them three hundred years ago. Over the past few hundred years, the land has either been barren or has been sold or occupied, and the horse breeding land and the military horses have long disappeared without a trace. However, when each generation of officials takes over, they will continue to do the account in a serious manner, and this account is actually impossible to trace, and every official involved from the local government to the central government is actually lying. If anyone asks for an audit, then many of them are guilty of deception. No new official wants to offend countless colleagues. When the new officials gradually become old officials and leave this position, the successor officials will continue to stare and talk nonsense. And the officials who entered the Beijing division will also endorse the numbers from the official newspaper of Shaanxi Horse Breeding, just like their predecessors. Over the past 200 years, the number of horses raised in Shaanxi has increased by 10% every 20 years. Not more than a year, no less than a year, that is, 20 years of accuracy, and the increase in the number will never be more or less, it must be one percent, so that the military department has these 570,000 military horses on its books.

Xu Ping's eyes widened and he muttered, "It's ridiculous to have such a thing." ”

"Even if the emperor sent Hou Ye to Shaanxi to supervise the raising of horses, I mean if ......" Jin Shentong said: "Hou Ye also has to admit that there are indeed 570,000 military horses, and then add 10% to this number every 20 years." ”

Although Xu Ping understood the truth in this, he still felt unacceptable: "Isn't there ever anyone who will check? ”

"Yes, I have been in the Ming Dynasty for three hundred years, and only Yu Zhongsu and Yu Shaobao have checked it. Brother Xu knows Lord Yu Zhongsu, right? ”

Yu Zhongsu is Yu Qian, unjustly died many years before being rehabilitated, Wanli years, Mingshenzong gave Yu Qian the nickname "Zhongsu". Xu Ping stood up when he heard this, and replied solemnly: "Of course I know, Yu Zhongsu is a master to protect the Son of Heaven and protect all the people, and he is buried by the West Lake in Hangzhou with Yue Wu Mu and Yue Shaobao. ”

"Yu Shaobao was loyal to the country and ordered to check the account books of the Ministry of War. At that time, it was only a few decades before Chengzu moved the capital to Beijing, and the original 2 million border soldiers in the account books of the Ministry of War were hooked by Yu Shaobao for 1.06 million, and most of the million military horses were also hooked away. Although this move has saved the country a lot of money, I don't know how many civil and military officials have a grudge because of it, let alone how many people have been removed from the black veil. Jin Shentong let out a long sigh, his voice full of helplessness and regret: "Later, Yu Shaobao was imprisoned, and no one helped him, who would dare to say that it had nothing to do with this matter at all?" Yu Shaobao Yin Jian is in front of him, who still dares to check the account books in the past 200 years? ”

Xu Ping said in a low voice: "Since ancient times, traitors have always succeeded, and they have never been loyal and have never lived. ”

Jin Shentong sighed, and the two looked up at the sky and were silent for a long time.

Jin Shentong cheered up and asked Xu Ping: "How is Brother Xu preparing for the review of the new army tomorrow?" ”

Xu Ping has been carefully training the troops these days, and he replied confidently: "Everything is ready." ”

"Even if everything is ready, then it still needs the east wind! Why didn't Brother Xu wear the Medal of Excellence? ”

"I'm wearing it." Xu Ping took Huang Chengcheng's medal out of his arms as he spoke. He always carefully hid this medal under his corset.

"After tomorrow's review, I estimate that Lord Hou may summon you officers who are about to take office." Jin Shentong looked at Xu Ping's medal, his expression was full of envy, and said, "This medal has only been issued three times. ”

"I think one of them is for Instructor Song, and I see Instructor Song wearing it all the time."

"Yes, Instructor Song is afraid that no one in the world will know." Jin Shentong reluctantly took his eyes off the medal and said to Xu Ping: "I think Brother Xu should do the same. ”

"I think it's a little too ostentatious."

"Not really. If you summon all the officers tomorrow, Brother Xu will definitely be able to attract the attention of Lord Hou by tying it to his chest, and I think it will be quite beneficial to Brother Xu. ”

"Hmm. Brother Jin said yes. I remember that Song Jianjun always hung the medal on his chest with a big red ribbon, and Xu Ping pondered to buy a bright ribbon today.

Jin Shentong asked again, "Brother Xu doesn't seem to have practiced swordsmanship much?" ”

"yes." In these days, although Xu Ping often comes to Zhiwei to ride horses, he has never put much effort into swordsmanship and shooting: "I am not a cavalryman, and I will not fight on the front line in the future. ”

If these words fall into the ears of other generals, they may not like to hear them, but Lord Hou is different. I heard Hou Ye say: 'A general who often draws his sword by himself is not a good general.' If Hou Ye asks tomorrow, although Brother Xu speaks freely, Hou Ye is magnanimous, and he doesn't think anything deviant thinks about it, and even likes some strange thoughts from his subordinates. “

"Really? I heard that when Hou Ye was in Liaodong, every time he fought a big battle, he would wear a sword and a sword, and he would fight with Jiannu in person, I don't know if this is the case? The Zhendonghou described by Jin Shentong is very different from the image of Xu Ping's mind.

"I also heard Jia Yan talk about this, but when I was a child, I asked Hou Ye about it, and Hou Ye didn't care indifferently, saying that the general who commanded thousands of troops and horses was forced to draw his sword in person, which is not something worth boasting about."

Jin Shentong said again: "Your brother Lin Guangyi, I think it's very good, and I plan to let him take a look at Yiguo Zhiwei first." ”

Lin Guangyi is one of the few cavalry cadets of the teaching team who was selected by Jin Shentong to be the direct guard, and it is said that newcomers should start from the lowest level recruits, but since Jin Shentong looks at him differently, it is a different matter, Xu Ping is very happy that his brother can have a good future: "It is really his blessing to be favored by Brother Jin." ”

The two turned on their horses and slowly returned to the camp.

When he returned to the barracks, it was already dark, and Cao Yun, who had been debating the Three Kingdoms with people all day, fell on the bed, chewing on a rice stalk in his mouth, and chatted with Jiang Yizhou with a match. Xu Ping took off the armor and put it away neatly, carefully put it away, and asked, "Where are all the people in this camp?" ”

"A lot of people have gone to practice formation today," said Jiang Yizhou. Every new recruit was anxious to make a good impression at tomorrow's parade, so they went to train the soldiers despite today's holiday: "A few of them went to the Song instructor to set up a war chess." ”

"It's still our instructor Xu who has a lot of time."

Cao Yun's praise made Xu Ping smile slightly. Although he was an engineer officer, in the past two months, he ranked first in various assessments, whether it is tactical courses, military regulations, or simulation exercises. Xu Ping sat down next to the two cavalry cadets and talked to them about what he had seen today.

“…… There is a serious shortage of iron cavalry battalions in Xuanda Town, and there is also a serious shortage of military horses. A battalion of iron cavalry should have 3,000 officers and men and 3,500 military horses, but the worst battalion is said to have only more than 200 men, four swords and a helmet......

Cao Yun and Jiang Yizhou had also heard about the situation of the border army tending to collapse, but what Jin Shentong said still made them dumbfounded. Jiang Yizhou said: "Since ancient times, officials have protected each other, there is no way, and these old accounts can't be counted even if you want to." It's been hundreds of years, and the first person to make a fake account is probably even rotten to the bones. ”

Xu Ping told them that the Xuanda army had not been paid for 26 months, and Jiang Yizhou repeatedly called it lucky: "Fortunately, we are a new army, and the emperor will not owe us military salaries."

Cao Yun kept holding his straw in his mouth, leaning on the bed without saying a word, his face full of disapproval.

Xu Ping smiled: "What is the best way for Lord Cao?" ”

Cao Yun bit his rice stalk repeatedly, and burst out with a sentence for a long time: "I think we should still check it, and we can find out how much it is." ”

"There are so many officials, all of them have protégés, and they affect the whole body, and besides, the affairs of the country have been like this for hundreds of years."

"Maybe it's hard, but I don't think it's right. Just like Liaodong back then, hundreds of thousands of officers and soldiers were defeated and entered the pass, if Hou Ye and Mao Shuai followed and retreated into the pass, saying 'Liaodong's affairs are like this', who can say that they are not? But Hou Ye with a hundred people, Mao Shuai with 200 people, wouldn't he create a feat? ”

Cao Yun bit off a piece of rice stalk, chewed it hard, and then bit the rest: "If Yue Shaobao and Yu Shaobao said 'the country's affairs are like this' back then, who would give them incense and sacrifice now?" Prime Minister Wen Cheng, a scholar, fought with the Tartar Iron Horse with his bare hands to fight for a glimmer of life for the Great Song Dynasty, but he didn't say, 'That's the matter of the country', and then turned around and surrendered to the Tartars. ”

Cao Yun's words made Xu Ping and Jiang Yizhou fall silent and become solemn. After a long time, Xu Ping nodded and said: "Yes, this is the reason why Yue Shaobao, Yu Shaobao and Prime Minister Wen Cheng left their names in history." ”

……

Although everyone knew that the review troops would definitely be very strict, and they were all mentally prepared for it, it was only after the review began that everyone realized that they had greatly underestimated the meticulousness of the review. The entire day of the first day was filled with formation changes and school formations, and it didn't end until the evening. Xu Ping commanded the hundred soldiers assigned to him, and he never rested, and the other officers were almost exhausted like him. During this period, the prime minister of military training stood on a high platform in the distance and observed, and did not sit down once.

As the sun set, the officers of the teaching team finished scoring each team for the last time, and Xu Ping and the others were ordered to take their subordinates back to the camp to rest. As Xu Ping expected, at midnight they suddenly gathered urgently, and after the officers and soldiers hurried to the school grounds, the officers who had been waiting there for the assessment issued another order with an expressionless face, asking them to immediately lead the team to set off separately for the night march.

For two days in a row, the cross-country march almost non-stop, and the heralds on horseback caught up with Xu Ping's team from time to time, and handed over the temporary change order to Xu Ping. Xu Ping had to scout carefully while marching, and the officers sent by the teaching team waited on the road ahead for each of the new troops to participate in the review, and rated their appearance, morale, and compliance with the regulations.

By the morning of the third day, all the officers and men of the unit had become extremely tired, and the number of simulated ambushes and harassments on the road was still increasing.

"Your troops spotted the enemy in ambush and dispersed them, losing two men, wounding five, and killing eleven of them."

The officer of the teaching team made a judgment on the results of the battle based on the performance of Xu Ping's team, and he recorded the numbers in his notebook while reporting the numbers. Xu Ping casually pointed to three people, and the "dead" soldiers withdrew from the team with joyful faces, ran to the side of the road and sat down comfortably, rubbing their sore legs. Xu Ping ordered another improvised stretcher to be made and put on the soldier who was judged to be "seriously injured". There are now six "seriously injured" members of the team who need to be carried by their companions to keep up with the group.

The officer of the teaching team waved Xu Ping's team over, while he and his men hid in the forest to "ambush" and wait for the next team.

A little further on, there were people from the teaching team on the road ahead, but this time the officer did not have the slightest intention of concealing his whereabouts, and he stood in the middle of the road with a golden sword, and there was a large flag beside him indicating the herald.

Xu Ping quickly ran to the officer and stretched out his hand to him: "Situation." ”

Xu Ping took out his team's condition book and handed it to the officer, who quickly wrote down the time of arrival on it, and then forcefully handed it back to Xu Ping: "The march is over, lead the team back to the camp." ”

"Yes."

The exam papers have been answered, and the confident Xu Ping can't wait for Zhendonghou to score himself.

The second is more delivered as promised

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