Everyone was clear about Xiao Ruxun's military order. The Daming Empire naturally had to put on a good show in front of the vassal states. This was the common sense of the country. As the representatives of the country, it was even more necessary for them to show the power of the Daming Empire in an awe-inspiring manner. The armor on their bodies should be bright, the cloaks should be handsome, and there should be many flags fluttering in the air. The weapons in their hands should be polished, and the military uniforms should be ready!
But even so, everyone was very willing to show off their power in front of the vassal states. However, the actual situation made everyone somewhat embarrassed. For example, the weather was indeed very hot!
"Admiral, the weather is really stuffy! It can't be compared to the north at all! As soon as we arrived here, there was a wave of heat, and it was also very wet. What should we do? "
Zhao Hu prepared the armor and helmet and put it on. After walking a few steps, he started sweating. After a while, he felt as if he was inside a stove. His clothes had long been soaked. If it wasn't for the fact that he was covered by the armor, he would have thought that he had just come out of the shower.
He complained to Xiao Ruxun in this way. "Bear with it.
Today is the day of landing. We, the Daming Heavenly Soldiers, can't let the Siamese look down on us. If they are shirtless, they are pirates, not the Ming Dynasty Army. Tell everyone to bear with it. There will be iced mung bean soup at night. Besides, the Siamese should also know many ways to avoid the heat. Let me go and ask them. "
In fact, Xiao Ruxun also felt bitter in his heart, but he had no one to say it to.
In recent years, due to the influence of the Little Ice Age, the weather in the north was getting colder and colder, but it was not to the extent of affecting agriculture. It could only be said that it was cool and pleasant. Even in summer, it would not be very hot, especially in Ningxia. Anyway, it was a place that ripened once a year. People only felt cool and comfortable, and their bodies were not sticky. Obviously, this cold wave had not affected the important grain producing area of the Daming Empire — Jiangnan.
It should be said that cold weather was indeed more comfortable than hot weather, especially when there was no air conditioning. When the weather was hot, one's body would be covered in sweat, sticky and wet, and the body would emit an unpleasant smell. The men in the military camp were even more uncomfortable. Although it was cold in winter, their bodies were slippery, and there was no unpleasant smell. Everyone could still bear it, and it was also very comfortable to be in the fire.
However, once they arrived at the tropical rainforest area of Southeast Asia, the difference in temperature and climate was reflected. The Southern soldiers of Zhejiang and Fujian, the Wolf Soldiers of Guangxi, and the Guangdong Navy were still fine. They were, after all, from Jiangnan. However, the Ningxia Firearms Camp, which was used to the cool weather in Ningxia, was uncomfortable. The weather was hot and humid, and these northern men were not used to it. Xiao Ruxun even heard some of them say that they would rather go to North Korea to suffer the cold than the heat here.
Indeed, even Xiao Ruxun himself felt that the weather was too hot to bear. Although the Ming Dynasty Army had changed into their summer uniforms, it was still stuffy and hot. Sweat kept dripping down. They could not eat well, nor could they sleep well. Many of them looked dispirited and listless, which made Xiao Ruxun very worried.
He had prepared some green beans and black beans on the ship, as well as a lot of saltpeter. When the weather was very hot, he would use saltpeter and water to make ice to cook green bean soup for the soldiers. He would then chill it before giving it to the soldiers to drink. This was to relieve the heat and prevent the soldiers from suffering from heatstroke, which would cause them to lose their combat ability. He had also prepared things like straw mats and palm-leaf fans. Many times, when the weather was too hot, the Ningxia soldiers would sleep on the deck.
However, this was only an expedient measure. The problem of the Ningxia soldiers not adapting to the climate was already obvious. Even the strong generals were like this, not to mention the ordinary soldiers. Therefore, Xiao Ruxun simply ordered them to take off their uniforms and stay on the ship bare-chested. From time to time, they would splash water on their bodies to cool down. Then, they would stay outside more, in order to adapt to the climate here as soon as possible.
When the time came, it would only be hotter, stuffier, and more uncomfortable during the war. Moreover, it was not as tasty as iced drinks.
However, today's situation was special. They still needed to save face and put on their clothes. If they really could not stand it, they could roll up their sleeves to look quite imposing. The weapons in their hands must be bright, and they must be spirited. They could not be looked down upon by others.
Xiao Ruxun especially explained the military discipline in detail. He sent a military judge to every ship to preach military discipline. They were not allowed to plunder, harass, leave the camp without reason, or scold the local good people. If someone gave gifts, they could not accept it without the permission of their superior. If they saw something they wanted, they had to pay for it. If they violated any of these rules, they would be punished according to military law.
To the Ningxia soldiers, the southern soldiers, and the Guangdong Navy, Xiao Ruxun had a strong restraining force. To the Wolf Soldiers of Guangxi, Xiao Ruxun's restraining force was relatively weak. However, he could still use his prestige to intimidate these Wolf Soldiers. The military discipline of these Wolf Soldiers was not as strict as that of the Han soldiers, but they respected the strong and the powerful general. In their eyes, Xiao Ruxun was a powerful general. Therefore, they were willing to obey his orders, as long as they did not lack rewards.
Until the Qing Dynasty, China was a country of proper etiquette. The spirit of the people was extremely outstanding, and the people had strong self-confidence. They were very confident in facing foreigners. Although they were somewhat arrogant, due to their thoughtful etiquette and heartfelt humility, even arrogant actions would not be taken as arrogance by foreigners and they would not be looked down upon. This could be seen in many of the nautical records of the Spanish and Portuguese that had been passed down to this day. The spirit of the Chinese during the Ming Dynasty was truly outstanding. The Chinese overseas were the same.
Except for the pirates that existed in every country, the Chinese who lived peacefully in the Southeast Asian vassal states were the local high-quality group. Even the illiterate peasants who lost their land strictly abided by the local laws. The children of the merchants were also educated and received a good basic education. Compared to the local civilians, the Chinese community was like heaven and earth.
A powerful military force, an extremely charming culture, and the outstanding quality of its citizens had built up the respect and yearning that the vassal states had for the Great Ming Dynasty. This point absolutely could not be destroyed by some soldiers who did not abide by military discipline. Compared to the people of the common people, the military was more representative of the Great Ming Dynasty, and Xiao Ruxun could be considered as the symbol of the Great Ming Dynasty.
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