I seek economic hegemony in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 70 Sima Yi: Isn’t the Shu army just playing with things to lose their ambition?
In the blink of an eye, it was December of the 12th year of Jianxing, and the war situation in Guanzhong entered a cooling-off period.

From the beginning, the Han army took the initiative to attack, then turned to defense, and then surrounded the fields, and then the Wei army started to attack, but the attack failed and finally fell silent.

The entire battlefield cooled down in the middle of winter.

Both sides grew quiet.

But this quietness is extraordinary.

Both sides are gathering strength in silence.

By late December, it had been snowing heavily in Guanzhong for many days.

Fortunately, the first batch of bacon transported from Hanzhong arrived at the Guanzhong military camp, and the city was filled with smoke.

On December 23, Sima Yi was reading documents in the camp.

Xinbi came in and said: "Grand Governor, your Majesty has already set off to return to the capital. Before departure, he emphasized to his subordinates that defenses must be built as soon as possible. Whatever support the Grand Governor needs, just ask."

"I have little talent and virtue, and I am truly ashamed to receive such high regard from your majesty."

"Grand Governor, you are the only one who can take on this important responsibility now."

Xinpi was polite on the surface, but murmured in his heart: Sima Yi, stop pretending!
"Have the people who moved to Chang'an a few months ago been settled well?" Sima Yi asked.

"Everyone has been settled." Xinpi patted the snow on his body and sat down on one side. "According to reports from various counties, a total of more than 300 people have moved to Chang'an."

Sima Yi couldn't help but frown, he sighed and said: "There are more than 7 people in Fufeng County. If you don't count those north of the Wei River, there are more than 4 people in Weinan alone, but only more than 8000 people have entered Chang'an. Didn't the Shu army recruit more than 3 people and go there?"

"Based on the current situation, I'm afraid there is this number."

More than 3 people have passed by, and at least [-] of them can be recruited into the team.

This means that in the coming year, the Han army can transport [-] soldiers and civilians to the north of the Wei River without changing the overall number of troops in Weinan.

This tactic of constantly absorbing, integrating and integrating, and then sending elites to expand the stronghold, leaving the new recruits to continue training in the base camp, seems very cumbersome.

But its core point is one: stability!
Seeing Sima Yi's serious expression, Xin Pi smiled and said: "Hahaha, you don't have to worry, Governor. To accommodate more than 3 people, first of all, it will consume a lot of food from the Han army. In the current winter, it is even more difficult to transport food from Hanzhong. Secondly, It’s not easy to train these people.”

At this time, Sima Zhao's voice came from outside: "Report!"

"Enter!"

Sima Zhao came in and presented the last document.

"Informing the Commander-in-Chief, this is the recent movement of the Shu army."

Sima Yi took it and opened it slowly.

There was nothing at first, but after a while, Sima Yi asked: "Why are the Shu troops chopping wood and singing?"

"Reporting to the Governor, I don't know." Sima Zhao replied awkwardly.

How do I know what those Shu soldiers are singing for!
"What is recorded here is that the Shu army watched and danced around the campfire?" Sima Yi frowned even more.

What the hell kind of information is this?
Is this intelligence?

"Are you sure the scouts remembered correctly?" Sima Yi's eyes fell on Sima Zhao.

"Reporting to the Grand Governor, it is absolutely true. The Shu army sent civilian men out of the city to cut firewood, and our scouts pretended to be refugees and sneaked in to get the news."

Sima Yi continued to read. After reading, he stood up and started walking back and forth.

Xinpi on the side asked: "Great Governor, what happened?"

"The behavior of the Shu army is really a bit abnormal. They are chopping firewood and singing, watching and dancing around the campfire, and there are even knife wielders. There are even some prisoners of our army who are joining in the singing."

Xinpi also showed a hint of surprise on his face.

I only heard that they played music and danced for the princes and nobles.

The Shu army actually plays music and dances for ordinary soldiers now?

"This is just playing with things to lose one's ambition. Over time, the Shu army will be decadent!" Xin Pi asserted.

Sima Zhao said: "But I heard that whenever there is singing, the people work harder to chop wood. A large amount of firewood is transported into the city every day!"

"And I heard that there are now dedicated people who tell stories to Shu soldiers."

"Telling a story?" Xinpi was even more confused and didn't understand these operations at all.

"There are people every day, and each part has a dedicated person telling stories."

Xin Pi smiled and said: "Did Zhuge Kongming bring his army to fight, or did he come to enjoy himself?"

But Sima Yi moved back and forth faster and faster.Simpi asked: "Is the Governor worried about anything?"

"It's the cold winter of the twelfth lunar month, and the morale of our soldiers is very low. But judging from this information, the Shu army has not been affected much."

Xin Pi asked seriously: "What do you mean by the Governor, is that these enjoyments not only did not lower the morale of the Shu army, but also increased it?"

Sima Yi was silent.

He couldn't figure it out.

Not only could he not figure it out, Xin Pi couldn't figure it out, and Sima Zhao couldn't figure it out either.

Ancient military camps were not entirely monotonous.

For example, when Han Xin led his troops, he would usually let the troops play competitive games in the camp.

Because Han Xin understands people's hearts, life in the military camp is boring, and there are many people in the army, so he needs to vent his energy frequently.

Another example is sumo wrestling, which originated in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and is also one of the games played in the military.

All these Sima Yi knew that letting the soldiers do this when they are not fighting can not only vent the suppressed hearts of the soldiers, but also strengthen their bodies.

But these methods of venting are more inclined to violent venting.

The Shu army suddenly had so many upper-class nobles, which was very abnormal.

However, the Shu army was still enjoying it.

This understanding actually has something to do with Confucianism.

Confucianism is most taboo about playing. Playing means being unruly and losing your fighting spirit.

Even if the king sings and dances every day, his ministers will still admonish him that this will harm the country, let alone the soldiers who kill the enemy in battle?

"Grand Governor, we must not imitate this." Seeing Sima Yi's hesitation, Xinpi said quickly, "Such a plaything to lose one's ambition will surely lead to the defeat of the army!"

Sima Yi was filled with doubts, and what Xin Pi said was not unreasonable.

All he could say was: "Continue to observe."

"Here."

"Isn't there any progress in the papermaking information?"

"The Shu army is very tightly guarded."

Sima Yi sighed and said: "It seems that many princes and nobles in the Wei Dynasty will have to pay for Shu paper again."

Then, his eyes became firm and he said: "Send someone to Chengdu and collect patiently, and you will definitely find the art of making paper."

"Here!"

In the blink of an eye, the end of the year has arrived, and there is still no movement from both sides.

On December 28th, a group of people came to the door of the Zhao family in Tianshui. It was said that they were businessmen from Guanzhong.

Zhao Jun picked up the painting he had just made and looked at it left and right, whatever he liked.

"This paper is really good, great!" Zhao Jun smiled with a smile on his face. After finishing the painting, he asked Manager Zhang on the side, "I am happy today, so I will go get some more paper."

Manager Zhang said: "Mr. Zhao, the paper is almost gone."

"Almost gone?"

"Yes."

"It's impossible. There are [-] in total. How could it be used so quickly?"

"Have you forgotten, Mr. Zhao? Two months ago, Mr. Zhao ordered people to copy the classics of the sages on paper."

"That's impossible..."

"It's really almost gone."

"How could it be used so quickly!" Zhao Jun complained, "Isn't Du Langjun here yet?"

"There is no news, it may be related to the current war in Mei County."

"Didn't you say you've finished typing?" Zhao Jun put down his pen depressedly and said with a sad face, "How can we live without such good paper?"

(End of this chapter)