It wasn't too late into the night. Looking out from the window, the courtyard was lit up. Ning Yi leaned against one end of the bed, massaging his wife's calf as he chatted with his wife, who he had not seen for half a month.
Of course, no matter how he felt, calling another woman cute in front of his wife wasn't a very romantic thing. Su Tan'er laughed for a while and said in a low voice, "Husband thinks she's cute. Don't tell me he wants to take Miss Lu as his concubine?"
"Can you keep her under control?"
Su Tan'er pursed her lips and looked at Ning Yi. "I can't keep Miss Liu under control either."
Of course, these were just jokes. But it was enough to talk about other people's matters in private. Su Tan'er bent one leg and looked at her husband who was massaging her with some happiness. "Recently, Xing'er's mood hasn't been too good."
"What's wrong?"
"Those people who pretended to be her parents … She thought they were real. After all, she has some feelings for them."
"Although they've only been chased away, I'm afraid they're not in a good condition … You should comfort her. Ask Chan'er and Juan'er to comfort her."
"Okay."
"Why don't we find a husband for her?"
"She's too arrogant. No one in her family will like her."
"No one will like her, or someone she doesn't like …"
"Of course she doesn't like them. Otherwise, the nephew of the steward of the third branch, He Yu, or the son of Accountant Gu or the second son of Accountant Cui, have all come to propose marriage. And …" Su Tan'er counted with her fingers.
"Oh, they're quite popular."
"Of course. There are three maids in our first branch, Xing'er, Chan'er and Juan'er. Who wouldn't be jealous? Chan'er is with Husband, but Xing'er and Juan'er still have to fight over …"
Then, it was also trivial family affairs. For Su Tan'er, the situation at home had always been well taken care of. She didn't need Ning Yi's opinion. But if Ning Yi had any opinions, she would nod and agree. This was the feeling of a family. After a while, Xing'er came to take care of Su Tan'er. Ning Yi casually asked about their recent life in Huzhou. Xing'er didn't intend to complain. She blinked and nodded, saying that they were doing very well … As a maid, she had the ability to adjust her emotions and didn't let her problems bother her master. This was probably the self-cultivation of a good maid. Ning Yi talked for a while but didn't get a chance to comfort her, so he had to respect her choice.
After the matter in Hangzhou, he immediately went to Zhenjiang. After that, he returned to Jiangning. It didn't mean that he had nothing to do. Lu Hongti, whom he talked to his wife about, was a part of this matter. When he first asked her for help in Hangzhou, he had said that he would help her make a five-year plan. After a few months of intermittent work, the plan that should be done was more or less done. Now that most of the things had been settled, it would be a little unkind to delay it any longer. In the next few days, he could focus on perfecting this smuggling plan for her.
With this thought in mind, he passed through two layers of porches and went to Lu Hongti's courtyard. He saw her standing by the well to draw water. She was slowly turning the wheel with one hand. He didn't know what she was thinking about as she stood there, but when Ning Yi walked over, she reacted and looked over. Ning Yi went over and took over her work.
"Let me do it."
There was probably no gentlemanly demeanor in this era, but Lu Hongti was not pretentious. She took a step back and watched as Ning Yi spun the bucket. As he spun it, Ning Yi stuck his head out and looked down.
"The courtyard was originally not ours. An old man named Tang Xiuxuan lent it to us. I don't know if it's clean … Speaking of which, there was a time when I passed by the well and liked to look down."
"Why?" Lu Hongti tilted her head and asked.
"I heard that if the rich wanted to kill the maids and concubines, destroy the corpses, and so on, they would push people into the well. So I often thought that there would be corpses in it."
These words caused Lu Hongti to laugh. However, she picked up a wooden spoon and drank a few mouthfuls, causing Ning Yi to be slightly speechless. Soon after, he also tasted it. The well water was very sweet, and it was likely that it had not been soaked in anything messy. When Ning Yi asked if the spring water in the mountains tasted better, Lu Hongti felt that it was about the same.
"Anyway, thank you recently. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to come back alive from Hangzhou."
Then, Ning Yi talked with Lu Hongti about the situation in Lv Liang in more detail. In fact, in the past few months, everything that needed to be said had been said. The opinions and opinions that Ning Yi wanted to give had also been written into a thick book. Lu Hongti's stockade on Lv Liang Mountain was still based on the blueprint of a smuggling base that no one cared about.
Perhaps Ning Yi could only make a few ideas based on the template of the Tyrant's Saber Camp on how to run a stockade and negotiate with others. But he was extremely proficient in economic matters. He knew what kind of goods could be transported, how to secretly control them, how to guide and entice others with benefits, how to observe the rise and fall of various goods in a seemingly fair environment, how to adjust and control the benefits as much as possible in favor of oneself without letting others notice, and what kind of cases and small tricks there were. All these things were written down in the book. Of course, as for how to use them, it still depended on Lu Hongti's own judgment.
Usually, when it came to jokes, Ning Yi could make people relax, scold, and laugh. But when it came to doing things, he was also extremely serious, which was enough to influence others. After chatting for a while, Ning Yi went back to the side courtyard, further perfected his ideas in the study, and buried himself in the book. More than two hours later, Lu Hongti thought of something and went to discuss with Ning Yi for a while. Ning Yi discussed the content with Lu Hongti while writing.
They talked until late at night, and the topic was also moved from the simple stockade and smuggling. Ning Yi knew that Lu Hongti was probably going to leave in a few days, so he could tell her many unsettled ideas.
"In fact, I've been thinking about some things recently, about the battles in the north. You know, I don't know how to fight, but some things can be understood from human nature, and the results are almost the same. So recently, I've been thinking about why we were defeated. "
Lu Hongti didn't know what he wanted to say, and nodded as if she understood. "Yes."
"The reasons vary from person to person, and from different directions, there will be different results. I have a few letters here from Bianjing, but of course, they might not be addressed to me … In this battle in the north, at the beginning, Wang Ling and Yang Keshi were hesitant, and when they wanted to fight, many people in the middle and lower levels tried to stop them. It could be said that they were acting on Tong Guan's orders, or some of the big families that had business with Liao. There were all kinds of conflicts of interest, and they were all right. Later, they lost their courage, and in the following battles, they were defeated by the enemy. Everyone only cared about running away, and they suffered a crushing defeat. But on the other hand, there were some small conflicts between hundreds of people, and they could win. After all, there isn't much difference between people … "
Ning Yi waved his hand. "To be honest, after seeing these things for a long time, I feel that they are all very common, and I like to find complicated reasons. But if we start from the perspective of human nature, we can make a simple model. The reason why we can win in small scale battles is because there isn't much difference between people, and the reason why we must lose in large scale battles is actually very simple. Let's say we are in a team of one hundred thousand people, and I am one of them. That is enough. No matter how complicated the reason is, there is only one reason. "
Lu Hongti was a little confused at the beginning, and didn't understand what he was trying to say, but he could only listen. Ning Yi smiled. "The bottom line is that I don't trust my companions. No matter how powerful I am, I can't beat tens of thousands of people. When the battle started, I thought to myself, 'We definitely can't beat them. Why? Because they, you all, will definitely turn around and run, so I have to run too. When tens of thousands of people think the same way, no matter how powerful the leader is, they won't be able to beat others.' And after many defeats on the battlefield, this mentality is even more deeply ingrained. Actually, everyone doesn't think that we can't beat the Liao people, but … the people around us will definitely run away. That is the key. "
Lu Hongti thought about it and nodded. "Of course, that is the case. But … what can we do about it …"
"I was thinking about something wrong. Some things that I thought were useless in the past, but now it seems that they are actually quite useful." Ning Yi thought about it and then smiled as he gestured. "Two things, trust and rules. There are many small things that need to be done, small games related to trust. For example, let someone stand on a two-meter platform, open his arms and fall backward, and let his companions catch him from behind. Everyone, do it once a day. If his companions don't catch him, he might fall and break his head. Then … stand in a military posture, walk in a square formation, and strictly follow the military rules … Heh, it might be too much to ask for, but these things don't need to be done every day. However, they can be done for a period of time every day. I have written them down in the book … "
Ning Yi smiled, as though he had thought through some things. As someone who came from a thousand years in the future, it was easy to be confused by many things. For example, if you were to say how powerful the People's Liberation Army was in a society of a thousand years in the future, people would laugh. Was standing in a square formation and folding a quilt that powerful? Then, it gave people the feeling that these were purely superficial requests, but in fact, it contained a very deep understanding of human nature and management.
A hundred thousand people against ten thousand people, could it really be attributed to the Han people being pigs? Could it be attributed to an internal struggle? In fact, even if a hundred thousand people stood still and let ten thousand people attack in a purely mechanical manner, ten thousand people probably wouldn't be able to win. Why would they lose? It wasn't because every one of the hundred thousand people was too weak, but because most of them subconsciously had the same thought: 'They will definitely run away.' It was not as simple as' I am not as good as the Liao people '.
There was a chance of winning a small-scale battle because they knew each other. As long as they had the thought of 'We can win' or 'No one will run away', the army would fight to the death. However, when they formed a formation of a hundred thousand people, everyone would still think of 'everyone will definitely run away.' This was especially so when there were so many defeats in the past. If one person was afraid, the whole group would turn around.
They would do the same thing, take the same steps, and jump down from the platform. Their companions would catch them every time, and they would definitely catch them. After such a general's rule seeped into everyone's bones through various small matters, even if they were in a square formation of a hundred thousand people, they would know from one end that no one they didn't know would run away. In fact, as long as they made people feel that 'military orders are like mountains, no one will dare to run away', a hundred thousand people would never lose to ten thousand people under any circumstances.
For example, the Tyrant's Saber Camp had built up enough trust in each other to a certain extent, but that was the maintenance of various kinds of feelings. Once the Tyrant's Saber Camp wanted to expand, this kind of trust would thin out. In China's history, as long as an army could achieve 'military orders are like mountains', they would usually be able to make a name for themselves. After achieving this, the decisive factors would be logistics, supply, and strategizing. Because only at this level could an army be considered a few.
In the past, Ning Yi didn't really care about these seemingly ordinary training methods of the army. It wasn't that he thought they were useless, but that there were ancient situations in the past. He didn't have any thoughts or requirements in this regard for the Tyrant's Saber Camp. But at this moment, he could think clearly. These things, the various games about trust in the army, the strict formation, and the constant accumulation of a psychological hint: 'I know what the people around me are like.' and 'Military orders are like mountains. If you run away, you will definitely be punished and will definitely die.'
He wrote all these in the notebook he gave to Lu Hongti.
"You don't have to train for a whole day, but you can train for a period of time every day. You can do those little games about increasing mutual trust every day. You can choose what you want or don't want. This may not make you the best soldiers in the world, but it will definitely be effective … "
He explained these things in detail, but many of the terms were still in the modern era. He didn't know whether Lu Hongti had adapted to his style. She lowered her head, and no one knew what she was thinking. After a long time, she raised her head and looked at him. "What does Liheng want to do to my stockade village?"
"Uh …" Ning Yi was stunned, and then he understood what Lu Hongti was referring to. She had a stockade where many mountain bandits were gathered, and she planned to carry out large-scale smuggling in the future. The rules must be relatively loose. He couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, since you want to train, you should set the requirements higher. No matter what you do, martial strength is the most important. It's not difficult to make money. When you have money, it's important to convert it into fighting strength. It doesn't matter what happens. Just take one step at a time. "
"Does Liheng know what will happen to Lv Liang if there are such elite soldiers?"
Ning Yi thought for a moment. "Is it to kill Tian Hu, resist the Liao Bandits, and proclaim herself as the Empress? That's not bad."
Of course, this was a joke. Ning Yi had certain expectations for these methods, but naturally, his expectations were not that big. As long as he understood the purpose of these training and achieved it, he could more or less become a qualified army. And as long as he could have a qualified army, at least in Lv Liang Mountain, he might not be bullied. As for other things, he didn't think too much about them now.
They chatted for a while, and it was almost midnight. When the topic was about to end, Lu Hongti asked a question that she had been thinking about for a long time. "Ning Liheng, what do you want to do?"
"Huh?"
Lu Hongti looked at him. "You help the Tyrant's Saber Camp and the Wu dynasty. Sometimes you look like a saint, and sometimes you look cold-blooded. Most of the time, you see the big picture better than anyone else. But most of the time, I feel that you don't understand what the big picture is. Previously, you looked like you didn't care about the imperial court at all. In Jiangning, when I told you about creating peace for all ages, you scoffed at it. Now, you want to go to the capital. Whose side are you on? What do you want to do? "
"Didn't I tell you that the Wu dynasty is in danger? And I don't know myself now … Oh, I know what you want to ask." Ning Yi said a few words and then laughed. He shook his head and tidied up the things on the table. "I don't plan to do something for all the people in the world. The idea of creating peace for all ages is meaningless. But … for example, when a group of us fled from Hangzhou, there was a little girl on the way. Her parents were probably dead, and she was following her grandmother. There was nothing to eat on the way, and she was very hungry. I gave her a steamed bun, and she ate it in big bites. I felt that this little girl was very cute. If possible, for that feeling, I could kill all the Fang La army in Hangzhou behind us … I mean, if I had the ability to do so at that time. "
"But it's a stupid thing to extend this feeling to all the people in the world. People do things for what they can see. If someone told me that there were a million little girls like this in the north suffering, I would only think that it's none of my business. As the saying goes, most people in the world are like pigs and dogs, incorrigible. People should first save themselves, and then take the initiative to protect some things that they think are good. That's enough. "
"To be honest, when I was fleeing or after Hangzhou was breached, I saw some people who suffered terrible things. If possible, I would hope that there would be as few such things around me as possible. This is a very simple thought. I'm not great at all, and I've never thought of dying for this matter." He said this, "It's just that a man with the surname Qin played chess with me. He wanted to save the world. I think this idea is very admirable, although I don't want … to see people like Qian Xiwen in Hangzhou …"
As he said this, Lu Hongti kept looking at him and listening carefully. But for some reason, when he said this, his face seemed to suddenly turn red.
"… So, I just feel that if I can do something and help a little, I'll help a little. In the end, no matter what the result is, it's better than standing on the side and making sarcastic remarks. Heh, I'm not helping the imperial court or anything. I'm helping the Tyrant's Saber Camp, Qin Siyuan, and you. These are all personal interests, and I'm not targeting any people in the world … "
For some reason, Lu Hongti's expression became more and more strange.
"To be honest, in that fleeing group, only the little girl was cute. The rest of the people were really messy. They robbed other people's things, killed people to seek revenge, carried some of their own belongings, refused to throw them away even if they died, and even wanted to use others as bait. In the end, they would only get their own people killed. People in the world are like this. As for what to do for the world, I'm really not that noble … Uh, what's wrong with you? "
"No, nothing …" Lu Hongti replied. Her expression seemed to have temporarily returned to normal. She smiled and said, "Nothing, I'll go back to my room first."
"Oh, good night."
Ning Yi looked at her back as she left, feeling a little confused. He raised his head and thought for a while, still feeling a little distressed.
"Uh … Did I say something wrong …"
Perhaps he had said too selfishly and not noble enough, so he was despised …
In the end, he could only come up with this answer.
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