Sun Quan crossed the river to inspect and visited all the camps, but still did not find anyone he satisfied, and he became more and more frustrated.
We don't need to find great generals like Zhou Yu or Taishi Ci, even Zhou Tai or Ding Feng will be fine!
In recent years, he has personally promoted and appointed scholars of letters and Confucianism, and children of aristocratic families, and none of them can fight.
When Sun Ce first conquered Jiangdong, he employed so many military generals and heroes. Could it be that they had already been tapped out
When Cao Cao occupied the Central Plains, it was needless to say that there were many talented people. Liu Qi also promoted many young talents in Jingzhou. Why was there no one available in Jiangdong
Sun Quan arrived at the Chaohu camp full of melancholy. Cheng Pu led the generals to greet him. They all had serious expressions. They had just come here two months ago, and now they were here again. Could it be that he wanted to lead the troops personally
Cheng Pu also frowned slightly. Now was the critical moment to capture Huainan. Everyone trained their troops every day and took a defensive posture, for fear of alerting Cao's army and wasting all their previous efforts.
However, Sun Quan made two inspection trips northwards. If Cao Ren became alert and strengthened his defenses, wouldn't that just cause more trouble
After entering the tent and sitting down, the generals looked at each other in confusion. If Sun Quan was in a hurry to urge the battle, it would conflict with Zhou Yu's orders, so no one dared to say anything.
Cheng Pu had no choice but to break the silence, clasping his fists and asking, "If the lord has an order, just send someone to deliver it. Why do you have to come in person?"
Sun Quan was displeased when he heard this. Am I redundant in the army
But he had a friendly smile on his face: "I came to visit you all! The generals have been training for more than half a year. How are the soldiers these days?"
"Everything is fine!" Cheng Pu replied, "The Grand Commander has been out to sea for several months, and there has been no news so far. We dare not act rashly, but the soldiers are ready to fight at any time. If there is an order from the general, we can go out immediately."
"Very good!" Sun Quan saw the strange expressions of the generals and laughed dryly: "The Cao thief is far away in Guanzhong now. The commander-in-chief will surely succeed in one fell swoop. I will definitely go to Shouchun in person one day to celebrate the victory with the generals."
All the generals thanked him one after another and said some bland greetings. Sun Quan felt that this was a bit redundant, so he left the camp overnight and returned to Ruxu.
Standing at the bow and looking at the bright moon, Sun Quan's face was even gloomier than the night. This northern tour made him feel even more distant from his soldiers.
Although the loyalty of Cheng Pu, Huang Gai and other generals was beyond doubt, they still obeyed Zhou Yu's orders when it came to military orders. Even if there was no news for several months, they still waited firmly for military orders.
"People say Gongjin is good at commanding troops and has strict military discipline. His reputation is well-deserved!"
Sun Quan sighed and tried his best to convince himself, but Mrs. Wu's words rang in his ears again, and he felt upset.
We arrived at the Ruxu camp in the middle of the night and had another sleepless night. Just as we were about to fall asleep, we were awakened by the sound of soldiers training.
It was just daybreak at this time. Sun Quan got up, put on his clothes, and went to the balcony to watch. In the distance, under the Rushu Mountain, lights were on at the bows of ships, fleets were shuttling back and forth, and the navy was training.
At the same time, on the opposite Qibao Mountain, cavalry were galloping, and on the newly built pontoon bridge and boats on the river connecting the two mountains, war horses were galloping past as if they were walking on flat ground.
Sun Quan watched silently for a while, changed into casual clothes and came to the bridgehead, where he saw Lu Meng leading the cavalry, dispatching troops, horses and warships, advancing and retreating in an orderly manner, and using both offensive and defensive methods.
Even though they were not at the Chaohu front, morale was high, training was meticulous, and the navy and army were in neat formation.
It was not until the morning sun rose and the camps finished their training that Sun Quan heaved a sigh of relief. He called over the flag-bearing messenger at the bridgehead and asked, "Why is General Lu training so hard today?"
The soldier replied, "We have training every day. Three days for minor training, five days for major training, ten days for naval attack and defense, and half a month for training for all three armies. Today is the day for major training. Later, the navy will leave Ruxu and go to the Yangtze River to train on boats."
Sun Quan was very surprised when he heard this, and immediately ordered: "Hurry and ask General Lu to come to see me."
The messenger left in a hurry. Sun Quan also clenched his fist secretly and hurried back to the camp. Lu Meng was rude and foul-mouthed, so he was always regarded as a reckless man.
But looking at how he trained his troops today, the plan was well-paced and the lineup was extremely rigorous. If he could make some improvements, although he is not as good as Zhou Yu and Taishi Ci, as a trusted general he has trained, he can also stand on his own.
Not long after, Lü Meng came over quickly, clasped his fists and said, "Lü Meng greets the Lord of Wu. I was busy training this morning, so I am late to greet you. I hope you will forgive me."
Sun Quan looked at Lu Meng and nodded secretly. The young boy back then has grown up. He is now wearing armor, has a slightly dark complexion, and exudes a murderous aura.
The young man joined the army with Deng Dang when he was a teenager. After Deng Dang's death, he led his troops in battles in the east and west in recent years and made many contributions. Now he is the commander of Pingbei and guards Ruxu.
The more Sun Quan watched, the more he liked him. He smiled and said, "Ziming is now in charge of the army and has trained well. Has he studied literature and military tactics?"
Lü Meng was startled, not knowing why he asked such a question. He clasped his fists and said, "In this chaotic world, it is the time to kill enemies and make meritorious deeds. A real man should learn from Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, fight on the battlefield, fight against enemies and eliminate violence. Learning literature and practicing calligraphy are the things of corrupt scholars. I disdain to do that."
Sun Quan shook his head and sighed, "Reading is not just about studying ancient classics, it is about enlightening your mind and understanding reason! You are now the commander of the three armies, guarding a place, you must learn! If you stop here, you will be nothing more than a small general, charging into battle."
Lü Meng was stunned, but he was obviously very impatient to study the scriptures. He frowned and said, "I am busy with military affairs and train soldiers all day long. How can I have the leisure to study the scriptures?"
Sun Quan laughed and said, "Do you want me to study classics and become a doctor of the Five Classics? I just want to remind you to read more and see more of the past. You said that you are busy with military affairs, but how can you be as busy as I am and unable to sleep at night? I often read books and I think I have benefited a lot from them. You should do the same!"
Lu Meng hurriedly said: "How dare I compare myself with you, my lord? But the books in the world are as vast as the sea, I don't know where to start."
Sun Quan said, "As a military commander, you should first learn the art of war. If you can master the art of war like the Grand Commander, wouldn't Jiangdong have another great general?"
Lu Meng was excited when he heard this. In the entire Eastern Wu army, no one did not respect Zhou Yu, and Lu Meng was no exception. Sun Quan actually said that he could achieve the same level as Zhou Yu. How could he not be excited
Lu Meng was a daring fighter by nature, and he was never afraid of any opponent. Zhou Lang's elegant demeanor emerged in his mind, and he murmured, "Art of War?"
Sun Quan nodded and said, "Sun Tzu said: The best strategy is to defeat the enemy's plans. To win every battle is not the best of the best; to defeat the enemy without fighting is the best of the best. You don't know how to fight and you don't learn the art of war. How can you lead the three armies and learn from Wei and Huo to conquer the Wolf's Lair?"
Lü Meng was awoke from his dream, his whole body trembled, and he bowed and said: "My lord, your words are like a wake-up call. I heard that Guan Yu was just a warrior from Jieliang, but he often read the Spring and Autumn Annals at night, and I thought he was just pretending to be famous, but today I know what he meant. Lü Meng will study today. Even if I can't be as good as Wei Huo, I want to be on par with Guan Yu and share my lord's worries."
"What a teachable boy!" Sun Quan laughed with relief, helped Lu Meng up, grabbed his arm and said, "I am the descendant of Sun Wu, and my family has 36 volumes of The Art of War. If Ziming makes progress within three months, I will give him the military books. Please don't let me down."
Lü Meng was flattered and immediately knelt down to thank him: "How could Lü Meng deserve such trouble from you? I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse, even if it means my death."
Sun Quan helped Lu Meng up and laughed loudly, "With your courage and the knowledge of Sun Tzu's Art of War, even if Guan Yu has ten thousand enemies, he will be defeated by you!"