Jingnan Strategy

Chapter 8 The Xu family governs the army
"Tell me, how to make military grain vinegar cloth salt crystals?"

"Ok?"

In the courtyard, Zhu Gaoxu was confused by what Xu Huizu said.

He was a new soldier who had practiced for less than three months. It was easy to ask him how to practice horseback archery, but when asked what military rations, salt and vinegar he had, how would he know?
"Isn't the military ration just brown rice and rice?" Zhu Gaoxu carefully looked at Xu Huizu's face and answered, but Xu Huizu's face darkened:
"I knew you didn't read the book I gave you!"

Before Zhu Gaoxu entered the military camp, Xu Huizu gave him a copy of Xu Da's manuscript.

It's just that Zhu Gaoxu had just traveled through time for a few days, and all his energy was spent on preparing for the school entrance examination, so he couldn't think of reading military books.

Now when he asked, Zhu Gaoxu had a feeling that he would hate to read a book until it was used.

"Uncle, don't worry, I will study it carefully later!"

Zhu Gaoxu's previous workplace experience told him that at this time, he should not confront a leader who was kind to him, nor could he reply or explain. It was best to admit his mistake directly and then explain.

Sure enough, Xu Huizu was stunned when he saw Zhu Gaoxu admitting his mistake so quickly.

Based on his understanding of his nephew, Zhu Gaoxu is a person who refuses to accept hard advice and has a stubborn mind. No one else can change what he thinks.

According to the past, Zhu Gaoxu must have loudly opposed himself at this time, but now...

"Sure enough, the military camp is a good place to temper your temperament..." Xu Huizu sighed in his heart, and then continued the topic and explained to Zhu Gaoxu:
"There is only one month left for the assessment on April [-]th. You should study hard these days and don't embarrass Yan Mansion."

"Boy, I know, please remind me, uncle." Zhu Gaoxu saw that he was fooled, his expression immediately recovered, and he said with a playful smile:
"Uncle, I live in Nanjing and have no income without the palace. You see..."

"Your eldest brother found out about you yesterday and asked people from the palace to send twenty ingots and ten guan of money so that you wouldn't suffer yourself."

Before Zhu Gaochi finished speaking, Xu Huizu shook his head and told Zhu Gaochi that Zhu Gaochi had asked someone to give him money, and the soldiers at the door also put ten coins and twenty ingots on the stone table in the front yard.

Looking at the banknotes, Zhu Gaoxu had an unnatural expression on his face.

After all, he knew that his good eldest brother's future son was the murderer who killed him, so no matter how kind Zhu Gaochi was to him, he still felt very strange.

If Jingnan succeeds, what is placed in front of Zhu Gaoxu is to compete with Zhu Gaochi for the crown prince position, or to simply maintain the vassal status and support his own troops to save his life.

Therefore, he has been avoiding Zhu Gaochi since time traveling.

But he never thought that Zhu Gaochi would still miss him even after he arrived at the military camp.

"You had conflicts before, and you could reconcile in a few days. I don't know what happened to you this time, making you avoid him like this."

Seeing Zhu Gaoxu's unnaturalness, Xu Huizu couldn't help but sigh.

He didn't teach Zhu Gaoxu a lesson because he was afraid of backfiring. After all, Zhu Gaoxu had only changed his temper in the past few months. It would be bad if he was forced back again.

"I just wanted to come out and exercise."

Zhu Gaoxu responded with a smile, and Xu Huizu, who looked at his appearance, didn't say much, but shook his head and glanced at the empty kitchen and woodshed:

"In a moment, I'll ask someone to bring some firewood and send a cook over."

Seeing what Xu Huizu said, Zhu Gaoxu quickly bowed and said: "Firewood is very good, but cooking is not necessary. I have some skills."

"Then it's up to you." Xu Huizu shook his head, then waved his hand and said: "This month, you should study the military book carefully and move around the military camp."

"There are still some things in the Central Military Governor's Mansion. I'll take care of them first. You can take care of it yourself."

After that, Xu Huizu stood up and was about to leave, but Zhu Gaoxu stood up and sent him out.

Xu Huizu walked out of the courtyard, got on his horse skillfully, and then exchanged some words with him before leaving with more than [-] soldiers.

After he left, Zhu Gaoxu also returned to the house with the banknotes. While placing them on the table, he also dug out the military book hidden in his luggage. "The Xu family governs the army"

Zhu Gaoxu looked at this art of war, which has not been passed down to later generations, and couldn't help but think of his grandfather, King Xu Da of Zhongshan.

In the few memories of his predecessor that remain in Zhu Gaoxu's mind, it seems that Zhu Gaoxu has not met Xu Da a few times, and his only memory of his grandfather is that he was very tall and unsmiling.

"Military rations, vinegar cloth, salt crystals..."

Zhu Gaoxu murmured and opened the military book, but after reading it for a while, he felt a headache and couldn't stand it anymore.

It's not that Zhu Gaoxu can't understand it, but that this military book is too complicated.

Facts have proved that people who can fight may not necessarily be able to write military books. Anyway, Xu Da's military books are a bit messy.

Zhu Gaoxu gritted his teeth and read on, and it wasn't until a quarter of an hour later that he took a closer look.

Generally speaking, Xu Da's military book is somewhat similar to the writing of "Water Margin". The words are very straightforward, and even a person like Zhu Gaoxu, who is shallow in classical Chinese, can get the general idea.

"I still have to learn official documents when I have time..."

Zhu Gaoxu sighed, and at the same time he also understood the three things Xu Huizu said.

Generally speaking, when soldiers are stationed in the city, it is not surprising that they eat soft rice and millet.

But if you are going on a long-distance attack, or going deep into enemy territory, or fighting in the wilderness, the food must be small in volume, high in density, and easy to carry. The best food is to be full.

To put it bluntly, military rations are portable rations, such as modern compressed biscuits.

In Xu Da's military book, the Ming army's military rations were usually prepared by taking one stone of rice, shelling and washing it before going out, boiling it, then exposing it to the sun and baking it, drying it, removing the impurities, and steaming it again.

After repeating this ten times, you can get two buckets of hard rice.

These two buckets of rice need to be carried by soldiers on the march. Every time they bury the pot to make rice, each person takes three coins of hard rice and throws it into boiling water. After boiling, you can get a bowl of hard rice.

Two buckets of rations, two ounces of salt crystals, and one foot of vinegar cloth were enough to feed a soldier for fifteen days.

As for the salt crystals, they are military salt. The normal production process requires taking three kilograms of salt, adding water to the pot and boiling it until it is hard and small. There will be about three lumps as big as fingernails, weighing two taels, each time you cook. Just use a knife to cut off a trace.

For vinegar cloth, soak a foot of coarse cloth in a pound of vinegar. After drying, cut off an inch every time you cook and soak it in water. Wait until the coarse cloth changes color and then pick it up.

In addition to these necessary supplies for the march, if the imperial court was financially wealthy, the Ming army would also take mulberries, wild fruits, or other fruits and vegetables, soak them in water after being exposed to the sun, and eat them.

In the book, Xu Da also specifically explained that none of these things should be missing. If one thing is missing, it will be difficult for the soldiers to persevere.

"From a scientific point of view, it means supplementing salt and vitamins..." Zhu Gaoxu murmured, but he did not forget to praise:

"The military rations made from these things were considered good military rations even in the modern nineteenth century."

Zhu Gaoxu became interested and could not help but continue to be immersed in the contents of the military book.

Just like that, when he came to his senses next time, he heard the sound of the backyard door being opened.

"Your Highness! We are back!"

"Okay..." Hearing Yang Zhan's voice, Zhu Gaoxu put away the military book and reluctantly put it in the book box.

When he got up and walked to the backyard, he saw Wang Xuan and Yang Zhan driving a donkey cart into the hospital. On top of the donkey cart were stacks of dry firewood, baskets of fruits and vegetables, and some pots and jars.

(End of this chapter)