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Chapter 661: Phoenix Tail Becomes Chicken Head

Du Wenhuan was different from them. Du Song was a general, and his family was as wealthy as Yuan Keli. They also had military power. The Ming Dynasty only had these generals who could fight. As long as they didn't deliberately oppose him, anyone who became emperor would have to use them.

At this time, high positions and generous salaries are not useless, but they are of little use. They will always compare the rewards they get with the risks, and will be dissatisfied if there is a slight deviation. It is also difficult for them to fight for power and money because they are not equivalent.

So how can we make them willingly follow us? This is when we need to use their spiritual power. Anyone who has enough food, drink and work will have spiritual pursuits that are higher than those of ordinary people.

Some want to be the richest man in the world, some want to reach the pinnacle of power, some want to benefit all mankind, and some want to cultivate and become immortals... Anyway, just count them, each one has more ambitious goals than the other, and basically no one will worry about meeting the needs of life anymore.

Coincidentally, in addition to being able to easily make money when he returned to ancient times, Hong Tao also knew how to paint cakes in various ways. No matter what flavor you like, he can draw a cake with good color, aroma and taste, which is always in front of you. You can't eat it even if you want to, but you can always smell the taste if you don't want to eat it.

He also painted a big pie for Du Wenhuan, saying that he would be successful. After spending some time with him outside Shanhaiguan, Hong Tao discovered that his nephew Du Song might think he was quite smart, and his ambition was relatively high. He looked down on the behavior of the older generation, always thinking about surpassing them, but he could never find an opportunity to show his talents.

It is tempting to tell such a person that he will become the Army Governor in the future, but it is not enough to make him devote himself to it. If you want him to follow you actively, the goal must be bigger, farther, and more glorious.

He was already the governor of the army. Who else could be more powerful and famous than the emperor? Of course there were some, such as the famous generals in ancient times who were passed down through the ages. Just picking out one or two of them would be enough for him to aspire to.

But it is not enough to just yearn for it. Everyone has fantasies. We must make them feel that it is possible to achieve it if they work harder. This is not just empty talk, but real ability.

You want to be like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing in resisting foreign invaders and conquering the Wolf's Lair, right? Go out and listen to the streets. Who else can help you achieve this except me? If you want to attack the northern desert, who else can you rely on except the army?

"I am willing!" Du Wenhuan was not a young man who was easily carried away by passion, but the emperor's words really touched his heart, and he could indeed see hope, and then his heart surged. Any difficulties and hardships suddenly became stumbling blocks on the road to realizing his ideals, and he was not afraid, but just kicked them away.

"That's good. If nothing unexpected happens during the trip to Shaanxi, I will leave you in Yan'an Prefecture to train the army with Sun Chengzong. Li Ruzhang has too many generals from the navy under his command. You have no advantage over them in the short term. Why don't you go to another place to develop? What do you think?"

With this eager look, Hong Tao knew that this person could be used, at least in the short term. The next step was to figure out how to use him and where to put him to best use.

"I am willing to obey your majesty's orders!" These words once again touched Du Wenhuan's heart.

The reason why he joined the army in a low-key manner was that he saw the uniqueness of this army and felt that the future war mode might also be different. He did not want to just muddle through in the position of deputy general and miss the opportunity to improve himself.

But the more I learned in the army, the more ignorant and powerless I felt. Not to mention Li Ruzhang and the staff, even compared with the centurions and thousand-man officers, I was at a disadvantage. I couldn't stay in the staff forever. I learned a lot, but I couldn't get the command and make achievements. The way out given by the emperor now was really suitable for me. Sun Chengzong's training of the army in Shaanxi was kept secret from the outside world, and only a few officials in the court knew a little bit.

But it was public knowledge to him. This was a matter that the emperor had summoned all the border generals to the capital on the occasion of the queen's birthday, and it was finally reached through his uncle Du Song.

The emperor promised that each of their families would have the opportunity to lead the army in the future, and the military families had to make it clear that they stood on the side of the emperor. The specific method was to send the best sons and nephews of each family to receive training under Sun Chengzong.

You start as a low-level officer, and then climb up through military exploits in the future. How high you can climb depends on your ability and luck. It is fair and transparent. The younger generations from different families get together, and no one can try to take shortcuts.

I am also a nephew of the Du family, and I should have gone with them. It was because my uncle still had some favor in front of the emperor that he tried every means to get me into Li Ruzhang's army, thinking that I could take a shortcut. Unexpectedly, my cleverness backfired. Although they were both in the army, their natures were very different.

Li Ruzhang's army had been trained for several years in advance and had experienced the defense of the capital. There were many officers from the navy in the army with rich combat experience. It was the only army the emperor could rely on inland, and it certainly had more opportunities than Sun Chengzong, who had not yet formed an army.

In fact, my uncle's trick really worked. Not long after joining the army, I caught up with the emperor's personal expedition, and I was allowed to accompany him. I really learned a lot and gained a fundamental understanding of the army's combat concepts and tactics, which was better than listening to the staff officers' lectures for several months.

Now that the emperor has sent me to serve under Sun Chengzong, I will definitely not start as a low-ranking officer, but at least be given a thousand households, which is a much higher starting point than other generals' children. As the ancients said, it is better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix, which is the truth.

"…If you want to ask, just ask. For the sake of your future, why should a man act like a woman? When you go there, you can lead a guard. In addition to cooperating with Sun Chengzong in training, you must also strictly observe military discipline and set an example for the other descendants of generals. Also, study the details of the Ordos and Tumed tribes in case of emergency."

Hong Tao nodded to Wang Chengen beside him, took a roll of documents from him, and handed it over along with the small copper plate wrapped around it. This was Du Wenhuan's appointment certificate and identity card. With this set of things, he could take office after being inspected by the staff sent by the Army General Staff.

"Knowing yourself and your enemy, you will win every battle! I will obey your command... Your Majesty, why Ordos and Tumed?"

The rank of the Guard Commander was not high in the Ming military system, but it was already a senior officer in the army second only to the Governor-General and the Chief of Staff. Du Wenhuan never dreamed that he would be able to lead an army so soon, and was so overjoyed that he even used the emperor's colloquial language.

But before the smile faded, he suddenly felt something strange. The emperor was very specific in knowing himself and the enemy, and he would usually pay attention to someone in advance when he wanted to beat him up.

Although the Ordos and Tumed tribes have always been active in the north of Datong, Yulin and Ningxia, and are relatively powerful Mongolian tribes that pose a greater threat to the Ming Dynasty, they have not harassed the border in large numbers in recent years. The Tumed leader was even canonized as the King of Shunyi by the Ming court. Why did they choose them as targets?
(End of this chapter)