Chapter 74: Small Modern Minds, Quite Amusing Indeed

Liu Xie’s question caught Zhang He and Xu Huang off guard.

How does the military train its soldiers?

Why would Your Majesty inquire about this?

Despite their confusion, Zhang He responded truthfully, “Your Majesty, currently, there are five main categories of training for our troops: Training the senses, cultivating courage, practicing formations, enhancing physical strength with martial arts, and honing specific skills.”

Nodding, Liu Xie continued, “Can you elaborate on how these five categories are specifically trained? What do they entail?”

Most ordinary generals might struggle to answer promptly.

Commanding troops in battle is different from training them. Some generals excel at warfare but may not necessarily be adept at troop training.

However, Zhang He was clearly skilled in both aspects. Upon hearing Liu Xie’s question, he immediately replied, “Your Majesty, ‘Training the senses’ primarily focuses on developing soldiers’ ability to discern drumbeats and interpret flag signals accurately.

“Whenever leading an army, it is essential to establish a rhythm for drums and gongs, as they serve to maintain discipline among the troops. Commanders must clearly instruct officers and soldiers, emphasizing these directives through repeated orders, teaching them the procedures for handling weapons, movements, and changes indicated by flags and banners.”

“As for cultivating courage, it involves education and rewards/punishments to make soldiers understand why they fight. By instilling comprehension, they gain clarity; with clarity comes steadfast resolve, unswayed by threats or temptations.”

Hearing this, Liu Xie gained significant insight.

In ancient battlefields, amidst chaos, issuing commands was challenging. Therefore, soldiers were instructed through drum beats and flag signals, making this a crucial aspect of troop coordination.

As for cultivating courage, it essentially involved educating and instilling values in soldiers, fortifying their resolve to fight. This is why every military campaign required a just cause; without such purpose, troops would lack bravery.

“Training formations is paramount,” Zhang He continued. “Formations serve as the foundation for tactical maneuvers and array transformations, establishing ranks, setting lines, and aligning in various directions.”

“However, achieving this level of discipline is exceptionally difficult for ordinary armies. Only elite forces can maintain precise formations, allowing commanders to direct them effortlessly, maximizing combat effectiveness.” Zhang He spoke with evident admiration in his tone.

While everyone understood these principles, training such a disciplined force proved immensely challenging.

After hearing about the first three types of training, Liu Xie realized there seemed little room for improvement or change; they were already quite comprehensive.

Thus, he focused on the remaining two aspects.

“What do physical conditioning and skills entail?”

Before Zhang He could respond, Gao Luan stepped in to explain, “Typically, physical conditioning involves exercises like wrestling, horseback archery, boxing, weightlifting, and more.”

“As for skills, they encompass a broad range, divided into major categories such as infantry, cavalry, charioteers, and naval forces. Within these, there are smaller specialties like archery, swordsmanship, spearmanship, shield use, and more.”

“Additionally, each major category has corresponding battle formations and tactics; however, due to their complexity, I won’t delve into them all now,” Zhang He concluded.

Liu Xie fell completely silent upon hearing this explanation.

So, ancient military training…was this intricate?

It was far different from what he had imagined!

Liu Xie realized his initial thoughts were overly simplistic. If training soldiers were that easy, historical renowned generals would not have been held in such high regard.

“Your Majesty, do you find these matters interesting?” Zhang He curiously asked.

Feeling slightly awkward, Liu Xie acknowledged the impressive expertise of these ancients. After some contemplation, he decided that physical conditioning seemed the only area where he might offer suggestions. “Well, recently…we’ve thought of several techniques to enhance physical fitness and wanted to discuss them with both generals,” he said.

“Oh? Your Majesty is knowledgeable in this field?” Zhang He’s eyes lit up, eagerly asking, “I wonder what exercises they are. Please enlighten me!”

Gao Luan beside him mirrored the same anticipation.

“It’s not complicated,” Liu Xie began. “The exercises include sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, weight-bearing cross-country runs…”

As Liu Xie spoke, he personally demonstrated each exercise while explaining which parts of the body they targeted and their respective benefits.

“Phew…”

After showcasing various movements, Liu Xie found himself drenched in sweat and panting heavily as he climbed back up from the ground. He dusted off his clothes and confidently asked Zhang He and Gao Luan, “Well, what do you think? How suitable are these exercises for building physical strength?”

Zhang He and Gao Luan exchanged glances.

Seeing their expressions, Liu Xie assumed they were simply astounded and smiled, encouraging them, “Speak your minds freely; don’t hold back. There are no outsiders here.”

“These training methods can be used to enhance the fitness of the palace guards. They will undoubtedly improve their overall conditioning.”

Liu Xie felt a profound sense of accomplishment at this moment.

Such was the advantage of being a reincarnator. With just a few gestures, he had already reached the pinnacle. Come on, hurry up and praise me! Quickly worship my brilliance! Liu Xie eagerly anticipated receiving recognition for his display.

“Uh… Your Majesty.” Zhang He scratched his head again, nearly drawing blood, “These training methods certainly have merit… but I fear our soldiers might not endure them.”

The intensity of the exercises could prove overwhelming if applied on a large scale.

“These methods are extremely demanding on physical strength. Small-scale training might be manageable, but if applied to units of over a thousand soldiers, it would significantly increase their food requirements. If the supply falls short, there could be…there may be a risk of mutiny among the troops.”

As a martial practitioner himself, Zhang He clearly recognized the effectiveness of Liu Xie’s unconventional exercises.

However, while they were useful, implementing them presented another challenge altogether. Intensive physical training leads to exhaustion, and the more exhausted the soldiers become, the greater their need for sustenance. How could the army possibly provide enough provisions to support such high-intensity daily drills for all its soldiers? Forcing rigorous exercise without adequate nourishment would inevitably lead to mutiny in the long run.

Gao Luan hesitated before adding, “Furthermore, Your Majesty, some of these training techniques you mentioned are already being used within our military.”

“For instance, carrying weights during cross-country runs is akin to marching in full armor; weightlifting can be achieved with stone blocks or locks.”

“And regarding that ‘marching drill,’ we have similar exercises, although they lack significant practical combat value. Typically, square formations and battle team drills are employed to enhance military discipline.”

Liu Xie’s smile froze awkwardly on his face.

Zhang He noticed the apparent disappointment on the emperor’s countenance and felt somewhat uneasy lingering around. He said, “Your Majesty, unless there are further matters, this general will take his leave now.”

With that, Liu Xie hastily led Gao Luan away from the rear garden.

Liu Xie dejectedly sat back on the stone bench, slumping over the table with lifeless eyes and a heart filled with despair.

“Novels indeed deceive us,” he sighed deeply, feeling utterly frustrated.

The wisdom of ancient people was no less than that of modern individuals; it wasn’t that they couldn’t conceive certain methods, but rather their circumstances did not permit them.

For instance, Zhang He and Gao Luan had their own techniques for physical training, yet they didn’t teach these to ordinary soldiers. The reason was simple - inadequate rations.

Without sufficient nutrition, implementing Liu Xie’s future-era training methods would be impossible for widespread adoption. Modern armies could train this way due to their superior diets, but such practices were unfeasible in ancient times.

Moreover, well-established military training methods already existed in antiquity.

The most critical factor remained logistics, logistics, and more logistics! Logistics were paramount!

From now on, Liu Xie resolved to stay quietly in his place, avoiding any reckless meddling that might only lead to self-inflicted disappointment.

As soon as Zhang He left, Liu Xie felt a wave of fear wash over him. If Yuan Shao discovered what transpired today, it could spell serious trouble.

“Following Guo Jia’s plan, we must simply wait for internal issues within Yuan Shao’s ranks to escalate further. We cannot complicate matters.”

“As long as I do nothing, I won’t make mistakes. Even if I wish to act, like today’s incident, I must first consult with Guo Jia.”