Meishan Su family, Su Yun is the most virtuous

Chapter 223 Experiment!

The group exchanged a few pleasantries at the city gate, and the commander of the wing, Qi Keyong, quickly invited Su Yun and others to enter the city and come to the Suide Military Yamen.

The military officer knew that a stove had been lit in the detention room long ago. As soon as they entered, they felt warm and drank hot tea. Everyone felt like they were alive again.

After some greetings, the atmosphere among everyone was quite harmonious.

Qi Keyong observed Su Yun all the way and now felt a little relieved.

Although this new military commander and governor of Suide looks too young, his demeanor and appearance are top-notch, but he is steady and friendly, and often smiles before speaking. He should not be the kind of person who thinks highly of himself and is stubborn, right?

The Suide Army was the front line against the Western Xia, and Qi Keyong was trembling with fear every day. After all, this was a war, and if he was not careful, the city would be destroyed and people would die.

If the new boss is a person like Ma Su, who gives random orders, will you listen to him or not?

If you don't obey, you will be defying orders from your superiors. If a military general defies a civil official, the end will not be good, especially when you hear that this person is a big shot in the eyes of the emperor!

He just passed the imperial examination and entered the official career at the beginning of this year, but now he is the commander of a military force. In Fuyan Road, he is the third person after Zhong Jinglüeshi and Du Zongjian!

I heard that Su Qinxia had only been in office for a few months, but he had been promoted several times and increased to many levels. The favor he received was unprecedented. How could he afford to offend such a person?

However, Qi Keyong was still somewhat uneasy. After all, according to his experience, young people who achieved success at an early age often had a very high opinion of themselves. Perhaps Su Yun's appearance was just a cover-up.

Alas, such troubled times.

Xu Xi alone destroyed the great situation that the Northwest Army had built up over decades. Now, the generals guarding the front lines are all in danger and trembling with fear every day. Life is too difficult!
The government’s way of employing people is really... I don’t know how to describe it.

As soon as Xu Xi died, a younger man who had achieved success at a young age immediately came in his place... He was still a teenager and looked even younger than his grandson!
While Qi Keyong's thoughts were in a mess, Su Yun was also observing these generals.

Qi Keyong and the others all looked weathered, old, and gloomy. Su Yun's heart sank slightly. If these generals were like this, one could imagine the morale of the soldiers.

However, Su Yun immediately suppressed all these thoughts and just exchanged pleasantries with Qi Keyong and others, occasionally asking about the situation on the front line, but he only touched upon the subject briefly. As he had just arrived and was about to stretch his hands too far, it would inevitably disgust others, so he just had to take it slow.

Su Yun's behavior was measured, which made the generals feel a little relieved. After chatting for a while, everyone said goodbye.

Although today is New Year's Eve, this is the front line and no one dares to relax too much.

Everyone left, leaving only Xu Jin, Wang Shunchen and Su Yun.

Seeing that only his own people were left, Xu Jin started to yell, "I know it's not easy to be a border soldier, but isn't this too shabby?

The Yanzhou city is already dilapidated enough, and the Suide city is much more depressed than Yanzhou city. I didn’t see many common people on the way here. Today is New Year’s Eve, and there is not even a bit of the Spring Festival atmosphere!
Moreover, Qi Keyong is too bad at being a human being. You just came here in the snow and wind, but you didn't even have a welcoming banquet. This is too much!"

Su Yun looked at Wang Shunchen. Although Wang Shunchen didn't say anything, he looked like he was thinking the same thing.

Su Yun thought that something was not right. These generals did not seem to be such rude people. Social etiquette was very popular in the Song Dynasty, so it was impossible for them not to know about it.

Just as he was thinking this, the sound of gongs and drums suddenly rang out outside, and the originally quiet city suddenly became noisy.

Wang Shunchen turned and ran outside, then rushed in like a whirlwind, shouting, "Qian Xia! The enemy is attacking the city!"

Su Yun was a little surprised when he heard this, and said, "It's New Year's Day, don't the Xixia people celebrate it?"

As he spoke, Su Yun strode out, and Wang Shunchen, Xu Jin and a small team of imperial guards quickly followed.

Before he even left the house, Qi Keyong and his men came galloping over on horseback. Seeing Su Yun about to leave, they quickly dismounted from their horses and galloped over, asking, "Qian Xia, where are you going?"

Su Yun pointed and said, "Go up to the city wall and take a look."

Qi Keyong hurriedly said, "Don't go up. It's too dangerous to be on the city wall now. You should stay in the yamen and take command."

Su Yun did not comment, but just asked: "Suide City is not at the front, how could there be enemies attacking the city?"

Qi Keyong said, "Our fortress is usually well defended. The Xixia soldiers come and go freely. Today, this Xia dog is crazy for some reason and came directly to Suide City to act crazy. But don't worry, usually the cavalry comes to cause trouble. They can't shake our fortress."

Su Yun added: "Since they can't attack the fortress, what are they doing here?"

Qi Keyong smiled bitterly and said, "They are here to plunder. They cannot attack the castle, but they can go to various villages to plunder some food, livestock, people and so on."

Su Yun frowned and said, "Then how do we usually deal with it?"

Qi Keyong's face was bitter, and he said, "Hold on and don't come out."

Wang Shunchen raised his eyebrows and said, "We are just going to watch them rob the people and come and go as they please?"

Before Qi Keyong could say anything, someone behind him shouted, "This is the rule set by the Military Affairs Department. We must defend the city now. The Xixia people dare not go too deep. They will plunder and then retreat!"

Wang Shunchen was furious and asked, "As military commanders of the Song Dynasty, are we going to watch the people being slaughtered right under our noses?"

The person behind shouted, "This is how the General Administration Office arranged it. If you have any objections, go find the General Administration Office!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Keyong shouted angrily: "Are there any rules? Shut up!"

Then he turned around and said to Su Yun, "Qian Xia, don't mind it. These people are rough men who have worked hard in the army and their words are unpleasant to the ear.

This strategy of holding on is indeed a consistent one. The Xixia people are very good at field battles. If we can't help but go out, we will probably fall into their trap."

Su Yun nodded and said, "I understand. You guys decide how to deal with it. I'm new here, so I won't interfere."

Qi Keyong heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this. It seemed that this person was not a stubborn person. It was a good thing that he could listen to advice. He quickly bowed and said, "It's cold outside the gate. Su Qinxia, ​​please come into the yamen and take charge."

Su Yun smiled and said, "I'll go up to the top of the city wall and take a look. General Qi, don't worry, I will never give orders rashly."

Qi Keyong smiled bitterly and said, "The top of the city is dangerous, there are too many stray arrows, it would be bad if they hurt you."

Su Yun shook his head and said, "The enemy is attacking. As the military commander of Suide, I have to go up and take a look. Otherwise, it would be too unreasonable. Okay, General Qi, you go and do your thing. I will go up by myself."

Qi Keyong said helplessly: "I also want to go up to the top of the city wall, you should follow me, but you have to put on armor."

Su Yun said, "Okay."

Xu Jin and Wang Shunchen also hurriedly changed into their armor. They were military generals, so they naturally had armor. However, Su Yun did not prepare any, so he could only temporarily get a set from the yamen. However, the armor looked simple and did not fit well, which pales in comparison with the gorgeous armor of Xu Jin and Wang Shunchen.

Wang Shunchen took a look and said, "Sir, let's switch."

Wang Shunchen was also a tall and strong man, so his armor should fit Su Yun very well.

Su Yun smiled and said, "No, I just want to go up to the top of the wall and take a look. You'd better change your armor. It's too flashy. The Xia bandits will notice you at a glance, which is dangerous."

Upon hearing this, Xu Jin Wang Shunchen quickly changed into ordinary armor.

The group climbed up the city wall and saw soldiers lying or sitting on the battlements, looking very lazy. Qi Keyong was afraid that Su Yun would misunderstand, so he quickly said, "When there is no battle, soldiers should rest as much as possible so that they can conserve their energy to fight the enemy. This does not mean that the military discipline is lax."

Su Yun smiled and nodded, "General Qi, you don't have to pay attention to me. I only brought my eyes and ears today, not my mouth."

Qi Keyong and others looked at each other and saw surprise in each other's eyes.

This person... seems to be different from other civil officials.

Although Suide City had given an early warning, the enemy was nowhere to be seen. The soldiers did not seem very nervous. They thought that it was because the fort ahead had spotted the enemy and burned smoke signals to warn them. When they saw this, they had to actively defend themselves. But whether the enemy would come here or attack was still unknown.

Qi Keyong and Su Yun explained: "According to the warning from the front, the coming cavalry should be a few hundred people. With such a small number of people, they will not attack the fortress. At most, they will cause trouble. However, as the defenders, we must not be careless. Who knows if they have any traps."

Su Yun nodded to show his understanding, then asked a few questions and kept silent. Then he looked around, checking the status of the soldiers, the various arrangements on the city wall, and so on.

Su Yun had read quite a few military books. He did some research when he was writing The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which laid a foundation for him. Later, whenever he had time, he would read military books, especially Wujing Zongyao, which was compiled by Zeng Gongliang and Ding Du during the reign of Emperor Renzong. He read it through and through.

Wujing Zongyao is divided into two volumes, each with 20 chapters.

The first 20 volumes reflect in detail the military system of the Song Dynasty, including the selection of generals and soldiers, education and training, troop organization, marching and camping, ancient and modern battle formations, communications and reconnaissance, city attack and defense, fire attack and water battle, weapons and equipment, etc.

Especially in the parts about camp formations, weapons and equipment, each item is accompanied by detailed illustrations. These exquisite images present the specific images of various weapons and equipment. Therefore, although Su Yun has never experienced the military, he is not unfamiliar with the military.

This will allow you to recognize basically everything by looking at the soldiers' clothes, the various tools used to defend the city, the layout of the city walls, etc.

However, books are books, and reality is reality. What you actually see is ultimately somewhat different from what you read in books. Su Yun has gained a lot of insights.

In fact, in terms of military theories and various armaments, the Song Dynasty was definitely the pinnacle of the time. Various weapons and equipment, various military theories, military training methods, military selection methods, etc., all had extremely mature theories.

If the army of the Song Dynasty could be trained and equipped according to the contents of Wujingzong, then the Song army would become the top military force in the world.

This is Su Yun’s feeling after reading Wujing Zongyao.

But the problem is that although the Song Dynasty army had the most advanced military theories, the most advanced weapons and equipment (except for war horses), and the most abundant military budget, it was difficult for it to cross the Hengshan Mountains against the Western Xia, and it was also difficult for it to take back the Youyan area against the Liao Kingdom.

Where is the problem?

The policy of using culture to control military power?

A civil official who is not resolute enough?
An official who is not wise and brave enough?
No best terrain barrier?

Lack of war horses?

In fact, these problems exist, but they are not caused by a certain reason, but a combination of these reasons.

Su Yun came here this time to make an attempt, or to do an experiment.

The officers and soldiers on the city wall were on guard, waiting for the Western Xia army to appear, but there was no sign of them.

Qi Keyong and others waited patiently. They were accustomed to this kind of thing. While waiting, they observed Su Yun's performance.

They watched Su Yun walking around and some people were laughing and talking in low voices.

"I want to see how long Su Qinxia can hold on. It's so cold on the wall. I guess he will go back to the yamen if he waits a little longer, right?" A Du Yuhou said with a smile.

"Hahaha, it's so fake. I don't know if he can understand it."

"Tsk, what do you know? These scholars, what can they understand? They are good at talking about war on paper, but if we really want to fight, we have to watch them!"

"Shut the fuck up! You are courting death by criticizing the Chief Executive in private!"

Qi Keyong scolded his subordinates to stop their ridicule.

Su Yun and his companions were standing at the downwind side of the wall and vaguely heard the discussion. Xu Jin looked a little angry and was about to shout at them, but was stopped by Su Yun.

Xu Jin said angrily: "Let's just let them mock us. They are disrespecting their superiors. How can they show any respect at all? Will they even disobey your orders?"

Su Yun smiled and said, "Respect is earned through fighting. We are new here, so it is normal for them to be disrespectful. We will see in practice."

After all, they did not wait for the Western Xia army that day. When it got dark, the guards on the city wall changed. Su Yun watched for a whole day and learned a lot. There was no point in watching any further, so he went down the city wall.

However, at this point, the generals also changed their views on Su Yun.

A Du Yuhou said, "This Su Qinxia doesn't seem to be completely useless. He has some perseverance to stand on the wall for so long in the cold wind."

Another Du Yuhou said with a smile, "He is quite tactful. At least he didn't give random orders, nor did he interfere in specific matters. He said he didn't have a mouth, so he really didn't say anything. He asked a lot of questions, and the questions he asked were to the point. It seems that he is not completely ignorant of military affairs. It's quite interesting."

Qi Keyong said: "Okay, everyone, don't talk about Shangguan casually. The government must have some ability to send him here.

But no matter what, war is a matter of specialization, and scholars are just scholars after all. We should just respect them, but as for fighting, we still have to do it ourselves.

Okay, Yao Duhou, you are the one on guard at night, so you must be alert. If there is any problem, I will hold you responsible. Everyone else should go back and rest."

All the generals dispersed in a hurry.

On the second day, Su Yun called Qi Keyong and asked him to arrange for him to inspect the barracks. Qi Keyong naturally did not dare to disobey and took Su Yun to inspect the barracks.

Su Yun carefully inspected the barracks for a day and asked many questions, but still did not express any opinions of his own.

Then after leaving the barracks, he said to Qi Keyong: "General Qi, please help me make arrangements. I want to enter the barracks and train with the soldiers for a while."

Qi Keyong heard this and said, "You are the commander of the army, and you are responsible for training. You can just come over to inspect the training. There is no need for me to make any arrangements."

Su Yun smiled and said, "It's not an inspection, but I will be assigned to a certain city. I will train with the soldiers."

Qi Keyong was shocked when he heard this and asked, "Train with the soldiers?"

Su Yun nodded and said, "That's right. I will eat and live with the soldiers. I will eat what they eat, live where they live, and train the same way they train."

Qi Keyong was shocked and said, "How can this be possible? This is disgraceful. You are an official of the imperial court, how can you live and eat with soldiers? This has never happened before!"

Su Yun smiled and said, "It didn't happen before, but it does happen now. However, please General Qi, help me keep it confidential and don't let the soldiers know about it."

Qi Keyong tried to persuade him several times, but seeing Su Yun's firm attitude, he had no choice but to arrange for him to go to a certain capital.

Su Yun didn't do much, just changed into the clothes of an ordinary soldier, but didn't get a tattoo on his face. This was a short period when he didn't need a tattoo.

Among Wang Anshi's reforms, there was a provision called "Military Law", which stipulated the implementation of the large camp system and that generals should lead their own troops. There was no need to use tattoos to distinguish between soldiers and generals. The abolition of tattoos began at this time.

However, the tattoo system was restored during the Yuanyou period and was not abolished until the end of the Song Dynasty.

If he needed to get a tattoo on his face, Su Yun would naturally not go to train with the soldiers at this time.

Although Su Yun quietly entered the military camp to participate in training, he was able to hide it from the lower-level soldiers, but not from the generals.

When they heard the news, they were even more shocked than Qi Keyong.

"Isn't Su Qinxia an idiot? What era is this now? Why is he still using the trick of eating and living with the soldiers?
Hahahaha, I thought he was a smart guy, but it turns out he is just a bookworm who has become stupid because of reading too much! Hahaha!" A Du Yuhou laughed

"Haha, I've been in the army for so many years, but this is the first time I've seen such a civil servant. Hahaha, is there anyone who wants to make a bet to see how long our Su Qinxia can last?" Another Du Yuhou was also pessimistic.

"A few days? Hahaha, it should be said that it can last for a few hours. Can a nerd endure the suffering of a soldier?" The Du Yuhou was even more sarcastic.

However, a Du Yuhou expressed a different opinion, saying: "I have a different opinion. You haven't noticed that our Su Qinxia is very tall and walks very steadily. He doesn't look like a weak scholar, but rather like someone who has some kung fu skills."

(End of this chapter)