The next day, Wang Pu went to the Palace Front Office to deliver the military order from the Privy Council. He and Guo Shao secretly discussed the matter of attacking the Southern Tang Kingdom. He suggested that the water network in the south of the Yangtze River was dense, and there was also the danger of the Yangtze River, so naval battles were crucial.
Guo Shao agreed with him, and soon contacted Han Tong, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guard's Cavalry and Infantry Division, and a group of people went to the Bian River west of the city to see the naval camp of the Imperial Guard Division in person.
Han Tong was known as Han Dengyan, and he was not easy to get along with. Guo Shao found that many of the generals were terrible at handling interpersonal relationships, but Han Tong was also a rule-abiding person, even more so than Shi Yanchao, so Guo Shao never had a problem with Han Tong. During the Tokyo mutiny last year, Han Tong did not help Guo Shao at all, but he did not help Zhao Kuangyin either, which made Guo Shao always remember his kindness.
However, Han Tong still respected Guo Shao, who was of a higher rank than him. The Palace Guard Commander was lower in rank than the Imperial Guards and Horse and Infantry Commander, but Guo Shao had the power to inspect the Palace Guards and the Imperial Guards in Tokyo, so he had more military power than him. Of course, Han Tong's respect for Guo Shao was not limited to military power.
In the crowd by the river, Guo Shaoyao pointed to the boats on the river. His manner and conversation were calm, and his image was not frivolous. Although he was only 23 years old, no one around him looked down on him because his skin was rough and bronzed due to long-term exposure to wind and sun, which made him look much more mature and steady. With more than 23 years of actual experience and a tall and strong figure, Guo Shao looked like a person who could take on great responsibilities. With such an image, age was no longer important, and people of this era matured early, and some became officials before the age of 20.
Guo Shao had fought numerous battles, both large and small, and had never been defeated. Han Tong and other senior military men knew what Guo Shao had done. Among the imperial army generals, everything could be controversial, but military achievements would not be controversial, as the generals considered themselves strong. Even Shi Yanchao was impressed by Guo Shao's military achievements.
The warships on the river were wheeled boats, with four water wheels on each side, making them fast. The first layer under the deck could also produce large oars, so when they needed to speed up to chase enemy ships, the water wheels and oars could be used together to make them go faster. Han Tong pointed to the boats without sails and talked about it.
Guo Shaodao: It sounds like Envoy Han has quite a bit of experience in naval warfare.
Han Tong was not modest at all, and hummed: "Before the Battle of Huainan, the Great Zhou Navy, from shipbuilding to military training, was in charge of this general by order, and I know everything about shipbuilding and naval warfare. Although the Zhou army is in the Central Plains, its warships are not worse than those of the Jiangnan countries. This wheeled boat runs faster than the warships of the Southern Tang Kingdom, and can transport more troops."
As a modern man, when Guo Shao talked about wooden warships, he naturally thought of the most domineering sailing battleships in the sailing era. He said casually: These ships look very wide, and they focus on transporting troops.
Han Tong glared and said: The most important thing for a warship is speed and transport of troops. When two ships fight, it is mainly a boarding battle, and people have to board the ship to fight. The small ship and few soldiers will first suffer from the small number of troops, so the number of transported troops is related to the strength of the battle.
Guo Shao nodded in agreement, thinking: Every era has something to adapt to it, and the long and narrow battleships are not suitable for boarding battles. It is very difficult to sink a warship at this time, so it is better to use the navy to directly capture it. After all, the burning of warships in the Battle of Chibi was a special case. Cao's army connected the warships together and lost their mobility. Otherwise, it would not be easy for the fire ships to burn the warships; warships in modern naval battles can even dodge such fast torpedoes, so how can they not dodge obvious fire ships
Han Tong added: "This boat is a sand boat. It is not only wide but also has a flat bottom. It is different from a seagoing boat. When sailing on rivers, lakes and ponds, the water is not deep in some places, and the pointed-bottom boat will touch the river bottom. Only a flat-bottomed boat is the best. The hull is wide and the draft is shallow. Even if it runs aground, it can be pulled out. Waterwheels and oars are also more suitable than sails, because it is difficult to encounter favorable winds by chance, and it is impossible to zigzag against the wind. For a river as wide as the Bian River, how can it zigzag and move forward? It is better to lower the sails and use waterwheels.
When Guo Shao heard Han Tong talk about the zigzag driving technique, he immediately thought it was amazing. He had heard of this method, but he had never studied the specific techniques.
Guo Shao was very interested after hearing this, and immediately led his people to the water fort, boarded the ships to view the wooden mechanical structures of those ancient ships, and inquired in detail about the tactical organization of the navy and other matters.
The strongest enemy in the future will not be on the water, and Guo Shao may not have the opportunity to personally command a naval battle. However, he is still very interested in everything and gradually learns and understands. Guo Shao does not feel conceited in his heart, but feels that he can learn all these things in ancient times; after all, there is no very professional and profound science knowledge at this time, but simple experience and skills. Although different fields may not be familiar, it is easy to figure out roughly how it works.
As the commander-in-chief of the three armed forces, Guo Shao can basically understand in detail how a squadron fights, especially the army's combat methods, and he has been in the front line for many years. Perhaps many high-ranking people disdain these things, but Guo Shao himself thinks they are very useful and very helpful for the rationality of decision-making. Just like a mechanical designer, if he doesn't know whether a model can be realized from a technical point of view, then his design is nonsense; if a coach doesn't know how to implement tactics, no matter how beautiful the strategy is, it is just a daydream.
There was a fishy smell on the deck. Guo Shao couldn't help but look back at the navy officers and soldiers on the warship: Your warship also serves as a fishing boat.
A general said embarrassedly: Sometimes I go out to cast a net and catch a few fish. How does Guo Du Dianjian know
Smelled the smell. Guo Shao had a smile on his face, and did not mean to go beyond his rank to accuse the general. So the general said with a playful smile: "Guo Du Dianjian has a really good nose, but I can't smell it."
After hearing this, everyone laughed along. Guo Shao rarely cared about the affairs of the lower-level generals. Anyway, they all had someone to look after them, so he might as well maintain a harmonious atmosphere to win the love of the lower-level generals.
Han Dushi, why don't you tell me more about the method of the word against the wind? Guo Shao looked at Han Tong with interest, such as the direction of the sail and the movement of the ship.
If it was headwind, no one could do anything, but that kind of situation was rare, and there was a way if the wind was slightly off. Han Tong explained with gestures. Guo Shao was confused, so he suggested drawing a picture to explain it slowly.
Wang Pu, who was standing aside, seemed to have no interest in any tactics. Instead, he was very interested in Guo Shao and had been observing Guo Shao quietly. He felt very uncomfortable when he occasionally noticed Wang Pu's gaze.
Guo Shao stayed on the boat for a full half day. Only when the sun set in the west did he leave the water fort and lead his men back to the city.
A group of people walked to the inner city's Imperial Street, said goodbye one after another and went home. When Wang Pu said goodbye, he said: By the way, there is something. Prime Minister Feng Dao is seriously ill and has been on leave for many days.
Guo Shao and Feng Dao didn't have much friendship, so he didn't say anything and went straight home. After entering the mansion, he began to think, Wang Pu was also sick and it was Doctor Lu who cured him. He mentioned it to him just now, could it be a hint for him to send Lu Lan to check Feng Dao's illness
After thinking for a while, Guo Shao went to the gatehouse in the front yard to look for Lu Lan. In Guo Shao's impression, he really couldn't remember what useful things Feng Dao had done; but he had no prejudice against him. He only knew that he had a nickname called "tumbler" and served as an official for four or five dynasties, no matter who was the emperor.
The wing room was open, Guo Shao knocked on the door, Lu Lan was doing needlework, and when she saw Guo Shao coming in, she immediately hid the things in her hands behind the bookshelf next to her. She said: Come in, it's your home anyway.
Guo Shaodao: I asked you to come all the way to Tokyo, and I said I would repay you. Please recommend one of your closest relatives and write to him to ask him to come to Tokyo. I will find a way to make him an imperial physician.
After hearing this, Lu Lan said: "My third uncle has studied for so many years to become an official, but it's so easy for you to become an official with just one sentence."
The imperial physician is managed by the Taichang Temple, and the Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple is my staff member. How easy is that? Guo Shao said with an undisguised smile. At this point, he suddenly realized something: No wonder he always felt that the imperial physician's medical skills were not that great. This is why he came from this; he could use the back door, but the relatives of those bureaucrats could not use connections.
Lu Lan said: "It is better to obey than to be respectful, so I will thank General Guo." Only my uncle who was recommended was not my real uncle, and there was no one left in the Lu family or my maternal uncle's family.
Guo Shao nodded and said: "It doesn't matter if they are not relatives. You recommended the Bai family to be officials, they will remember your kindness, and if they can't rely on me in the future, there is still a way out."
That's true. I don't think General Guo is a reliable person either. Lu Lan said unhappily.
Guo Shao pretended to be casual and said: "There is a prime minister in the court who is sick. In fact, I have no relationship with him. But he admires your medical skills and wants you to see him. Tomorrow morning, I will ask Bai Xiangu to send two followers to take you to Feng Dao's house to check his pulse. How about that?"
Lu Lan did not refuse: If a patient comes to me, of course I have to go. A doctor's job is to treat patients.
If you want to do something, like open a medicine shop or something, tell me and I can help you, Guo Shao said again.
Lu Lan said softly: I have been reading the medical classics brought from the Bai family recently and don’t want to bother with it for the time being.
Guo Shao glanced at the bookshelf and stood up: "That's all right. If Madam Lu needs anything, just ask Fairy Bai. She manages the money coming in and out of the mansion." Goodbye.
The next day, Lu Lan waited for Guo Shao and said that Feng Dao was too old and weak, not sick and incurable. Guo Shao stopped caring about it. Birth, aging, illness and death are not controlled by ordinary people. The old prime minister has lived a long life and has experienced several dynasties. He is over 70 years old and does not have many regrets.
As a result, there are only three prime ministers left in the Council of Ministers, one of whom is still in Chengdu Prefecture of Shu. However, some systems of the Zhou Dynasty were inherited from the Tang Dynasty. Usually there should be six to seven prime ministers, but there are many vacancies now.