The rain finally stopped, and the bright spring scenery when the sun came out was even more spring-like.
Guo Shao gradually established a regular routine in Tokyo. He went to the Imperial Guards Office to inspect the military camps; attended court meetings on the first and fifteenth day of each month; and took a day off every ten days. In his opinion, this job was not hard. The intensity and time were very average, and it was a bit relaxing; but the rewards were very generous. In this era when many people still had to rely on coarse food to survive, these senior military generals and civil officials lived a pampered life. Obviously, everyone at that time wanted to live this kind of life.
Guo Shao cherishes this job very much, and learns to be cautious in what he says and does, spending his energy and time quietly on things that others cannot see, so as not to cause unnecessary pressure to his colleagues. Of course, he wants to consolidate everything he has obtained and build a sense of security.
Maybe everyone thinks like him, so when the Jiedushi warlords were powerful in the past, they were never willing to hand over their military power, and were unwilling to hand over their safety and lives to the central court. But now the power center has tilted towards the imperial army.
After the roll call, Han Tong, Gao Huaide and others walked out of the lobby. Chai Gui, who was walking behind, said: The Northern Palace Front Department is recruiting soldiers again, and it is going very well, but our Imperial Guard Department has not made any moves, so should we also do something
Although Chai Gui was the cousin of the Emperor Chai Rong, he did not have much power in the Imperial Guard Department. What he said was clever and sounded like a complaint, but the phrase "our Imperial Guard Department" made everyone present feel close, as if they were all on the same boat.
Han Tong snorted and said in a pretentious tone: "The Palace Guards are selecting soldiers according to the emperor's order. The imperial edict did not ask the Imperial Guards to move. What's wrong with everyone being more stable?"
Gao Huaide said: There is no war to fight for the time being, but we must also ensure that the troops of the Imperial Guard maintain their combat effectiveness, and do not let the soldiers think that they can just occupy the military register and draw salaries for free.
The group chatted for a few words, then walked to the corridor, bowed to each other and went their separate ways.
Guo Shao and Gao Huaide walked together, deliberately slowing down their pace to walk side by side with him, but Gao Huaide was still half a shoulder slower than him. Guo Shao turned around and said: I have some ways to lead troops that I would like to ask General Gao.
Guo Shao watched Gao Huaide speak, and took the opportunity to observe his expression quietly. He looked calm, righteous, and dignified, and there was nothing unusual about him. Guo Shao was thinking about the matter with his sister, and then he looked at Gao Huaide's performance and felt that the secret should not have been leaked. He was relieved. It was not easy for everyone's private affairs to be made public. Maybe Gao Huaide, who looked serious, had his own private affairs behind him. Who would have the time to inquire about those things
There were also clerks and servants from the government office around him, and Guo and Gao were very particular about their words and actions.
Gao Huaide hurriedly said: I don’t deserve your advice.
Guo Shao disagreed and said with a smile: Although my military rank is slightly higher than General Gao, General Gao comes from a family of military generals and is good at leading troops. I am just afraid that you are hiding it and are unwilling to tell me.
Gao Huaide said: If General Guo asks, I will tell you everything I know.
Well, let's go to the signing room and discuss it in detail, Guo Shao said.
The two of them went up to the attic to sign the bond. Behind it was the warehouse, which was built upstairs to prevent moisture. Since they were asking for the secret, Guo Shao dismissed his attendants first.
He did not ask about any military tactics at the moment, but took out a list from his arms and said calmly: I have been looking through the old files recently and found some people who are just sitting there doing nothing and are not good at managing the army. They are exactly the same as the generals who were transferred to the Huainan Huaide Army. I will give General Gao a copy of the list to take a look.
Gao Huaide took it in his hand and glanced at it, then looked up and said: There are people from the Ma Army.
Guo Shao said: Han Lingkun has not returned to Beijing yet. I gave you a copy so that General Gao would have a better idea. If you know anyone in the Ma Army, Si Longjie Army, we can do this together.
Of course, what Guo Shao said about the generals who were not good at managing the army was just his words; those who were not good at managing the army were because they had a thousand connections with Li Chongjin. He had to find a way to kick them out so that they would not be an eyesore among the soldiers of the Imperial Guard.
Gao Huaide accepted it and nodded, saying: "We discussed it earlier, and most of the generals agreed that even if there is no war, we must ensure that the military laws are strictly enforced and the military discipline is moderate. Those who are idle will drag down the elite troops of the Guards Department if they are kept."
Guo Shaodao: That's exactly why. The emperor has asked us to be in charge of the Imperial Guard Department, and we cannot let the emperor down.
Hearing Guo Shao mention the government, Gao Huaide nodded thoughtfully.
At this time, Guo Shao stopped talking and asked: I suddenly remembered something. On the battlefield, if the soldiers are deployed too far, how can we convey the military orders when the battle is halfway intense
Gao Huaide said directly: Send a fast horse to deliver the message.
Guo Shao pondered and said: When I was in Haozhou, the vanguard army entered the city and was ambushed. The enemy sent out spies and cavalry to spread rumors in the central army and falsely pass on military orders. What should I do about this
Gao Huaide said: "For important military orders, send a familiar general. You can tell the authenticity of the person by recognizing him, and you can also bring the seal."
Guo Shao nodded, and talked with Gao Huaide again. After asking in detail, he understood Gao Huaide's habit of leading troops in battle. Gao Huaide did not have any strict command system. Apart from the orders for fighting and defending, the specific operations were basically divided between the deputy generals and the generals. The main tactics were nothing more than arranging the formation and advancing and retreating. There were also some tasks such as harassment and espionage, which were directly ordered by the generals.
Guo Shao always felt dissatisfied. This organizational form was too loose and too dependent on the performance and prestige of the generals at all levels. The military orders issued in conjunction with the drums and trumpets could only be some simple combat orders. When facing the battle, it was difficult to coordinate what tactical goals to achieve and what intentions to follow when the situation changed. No wonder the generals who could use strategies at this time were more capable, because with a large number of people, it was difficult to command in time, and it was even more difficult for all the troops to make any changes together. Therefore, it was the mainstream combat method to fight head-on. Many times, before the battle, you can guess the winner by just looking at the formations of both sides.
Because the army did not have a staff department at that time. Guo Shao thought that this might be the reason.
But how to establish a staff department Guo Shao found that the messenger organization he had taken for granted before was very impractical, and it also dragged down the army's response efficiency on the spot, and it was extremely easy to make mistakes. After Gao Huaide left, Guo Shao did not look through the old files today, but sat at the table to think about the situation of the Battle of Haozhou.
He thought about it and felt that his original idea was not wrong, but the method was wrong. After listening to Gao Huaide's words just now, Guo Shao gradually had some new ideas, which were more suitable for the actual situation. Those complicated seals were not easy to use, and they could be replaced by people that Gao Huaide said he was familiar with.
The more Guo Shao thought about it, the more it made sense. If he asked each commander to send out three or five personal soldiers he knew, and put these people in the central army to form a messenger organization; the central army would then send generals to recognize and manage these personal soldiers. When orders needed to be given to a certain unit, only a messenger needed to be sent over. Since they were all personal soldiers of generals at all levels, it would be natural to be able to tell the real from the fake.
Then, aides were appointed to the military headquarters, and each written military order was signed by the aides; the generals took the signatures to compare with the handwriting, which could help prevent counterfeiting.
He drafted these ideas on paper, wrote down the nouns, and used lines to deduce the internal logical relationship. He felt that it was feasible in theory, but he was still unsure; the failure of his attempt in the Battle of Haozhou left him with some trauma.
But Guo Shao thought again: Every method was thought up by humans. If we don't try, we will never evolve a better method, nor can we verify whether it is applicable. Ancient humans used stones and sticks to fight in groups, and later chariot battles, cavalry, infantry and archery coordinated with each other. It was a process of continuous improvement, which could not be learned from predecessors at the beginning.
The best way to verify is through exercises, which is completely different from the conventional inspection training of this era. Now in the training on the parade ground, either they practice archery, horse riding and shooting, or they line up in battle array, and there is no real exercise. As for how the combat effectiveness of the Great Zhou Imperial Army was trained, it was not through training at all, but through decades of war and generations of experience.
Guo Shao paced back and forth in the signing room, feeling that he was unable to organize the exercise.
First of all, he had no power to mobilize troops. To pull the imperial guards out for simulated combat, he needed the approval of the emperor and the Privy Council. It was a complicated process from submitting a memorial to approving the mobilization of troops. And obviously the Privy Council would guess your intention; if you couldn't let the Privy Council understand your intention, it would only cause trouble.
Secondly, the only target for the drill was the left wing of the Hujie Army. This was the only army that Guo Shao was familiar with and could deploy easily. As a military officer of the Mabu Division, he conducted drills on the left wing of the Hujie Army alone, which was equivalent to declaring to the whole court: the left wing is my territory, my private army.
Guo Shao thought about it and decided to keep a low profile and behave like everyone else, instead of actively causing trouble. He immediately took a piece of paper, wrote down his ideas, put them in his pocket, and didn't show them to anyone.
He was so excited that he wanted to adapt and improve the role of drums, trumpets, golden flags and other signals. The battlefield was too wide to use these things to command the overall battle, but using them separately in different units would indeed be more conducive to coordinating advances and retreats at the command level.
After lunch, Guo Shao looked through the old files again and went to inspect the military bases as usual. Then he went home and followed a very regular schedule.
When she got home, Jingniang came to see her and said: The Queen sent someone to ask Qingxu to come to the palace tomorrow to teach her a new method of rest and recuperation.
After hearing this, Guo Shao touched his forehead and thought that the emperor was in the palace now, so he should be careful. He said: Since it is the queen's decree, you can take Qingxu with you tomorrow.
Jingniang was silent for a moment, but did not ask if she had any message for the queen. Since Guo Shao did not mention it, she said: I know, I will go find Qingxu and ask her to get up early tomorrow.