Chương 704: Large-Scale Operations

"Those who passed this time, don't be proud, this is just the beginning; those who failed, don't be discouraged, go back and practice hard, and come back when you've improved."

The generals of the Han Dynasty are not made through reading, but through training, through battle, and through hard work and perseverance. I am waiting to see how many truly great generals will emerge from among you in the future."

As soon as the words were spoken, a deafening roar erupted across the playground:

"I will heed the principal's instructions!!"

The sound surged into the sky, startling the birds in the trees and even causing the flags in the distance to sway.

The wind swept across the playground, carrying yellow leaves and brushing against the young faces.

These young people, whether impetuous, steady, clever, or dull, all had a heavier weight in their eyes after this march.

The future of the Han Dynasty's swords, spears, and armor, its future generals and military might, rests on the shoulders of these people.

..................

Mid-March of the fourteenth year of Shenwu.

The military academy was even more crowded than last time. In addition to the regular military academy students, there were also many armored officers standing in the back row... They were all officers from various battalions. They had heard that His Majesty was going to talk about "how to lead a large army" today, so they specially changed into civilian clothes and sneaked over to audit the class. They were all standing on tiptoe, afraid of missing a single word, and some even brought small notebooks.

The "Thousand-Man Commander Training Lesson" from last time has already spread throughout the military camp. The young officers who originally thought that commanding troops was all about brute force were completely convinced by his straightforward explanation. They came early today to reserve seats, and even the aisle at the entrance was full of people.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

A voice called out from the doorway, and Liu Ce appeared.

"Whoosh..."

Everyone in the room stood up in unison, cupped their hands in salute, and shouted in a voice so loud it shook dust from the ceiling: "Greetings, Your Majesty!!!"

Liu Ce walked up to the podium with a smile and pressed his hands down: Hello, students.

"Good morning, Principal!" Hundreds of people responded in unison, their momentum astounding.

Then Liu Ce plopped down on the podium.

The room fell silent instantly; even breathing became softer.

"Don't be so tense. Those who are standing, find a place to sit, the ground is fine too." Liu Ce waved his hand and casually wrote on the blackboard: What's it like to command hundreds of thousands of troops?

"Last time we talked about the difficulties of managing a thousand men. I've read many of your reflections, and they were alright. At least you know that leading troops isn't just about fighting. Today, let's talk about something bigger... What do you think it's like to command hundreds of thousands of men in battle?"

No sooner had the words been spoken than a loud voice rang out from the back row, emanating from a bearded officer:

"Your Majesty! This humble general believes it will be incredibly impressive! With a wave of the command flag, thousands of troops will charge forward and raze the enemy camp to the ground!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Liu Ce chuckled and tapped him with chalk: "Impressive? I think you've listened to too many storytellers' tales. Do you think war is like in the plays, where the general puts on his armor, shouts 'All troops, attack!', and everyone charges in and wins? Let me tell you, that's pure nonsense."

"If you're truly commanding a large army in battle, and you can safely lead 100, 000 men several hundred miles without them breaking camp, suffering any casualties, or disintegrating, then you're already a qualified general."

The laughter below gradually subsided, and many people looked puzzled, pricking up their ears.

Liu Ce leaned forward and counted on his fingers as he said:

"Let's not talk about war yet, let's talk about something simple. Ask the students in your command platoon what it was like a few months ago when they participated in the 'assessment of each person leading a thousand new recruits to march to Luoyang.' You'll know what that's like. Who among you thinks they can handle it?"

The room was silent for a few seconds.

One of the students in the command corps muttered to himself, "A thousand people... just taking roll call will take almost half an hour, that's going to be tough."

......

"Right? Even a long march with a thousand new recruits can cause a whole host of problems." Liu Ce nodded, then changed the subject.

"What if we multiply the number of people a hundredfold, to 100, 000? And then multiply it tenfold, to a million? It's no longer an ordinary march, but a war, marching day and night, with enemy troops watching you, ready to rush over and stab you at any moment."

Every order you issue, if right, will kill some people; if wrong, will kill even more. The lives of every father, son, and husband are in your hands. Think carefully about this responsibility—can you bear it?

The military academy was completely silent. Even the bearded officer who had just shouted "Majestic!" had pursed his lips, and no one laughed anymore.

"Leaving aside the burden, the first hurdle alone can crush most people... The sheer volume of military intelligence could bury people alive."

Liu Ce walked to the map hanging on the wall and pointed at it with his pointer:

"The scouts' fast horses never stopped ringing from morning till night. Take Wang Jian during the Warring States period, for example. He led 600, 000 Qin troops to attack Chu. Do you know how many military reports he received in his central command tent every day? The outpost scouts would come to report the Chu army's movements every hour, some true and some false."

Each battalion commander had to report on the day's manpower, rations, and wounded and sick; the ration officer had to report where the ration carts were and how many days' worth of food they would last; the engineer battalion had to report how well the camps were set up and whether there were any leaks; even the cook battalion had to report whether there was enough firewood for the day and whether it would delay mealtimes.

These things can't be explained in a few words; truth and falsehood are mixed together, yet every single one awaits your decision. If you hesitate even slightly, you might miss a crucial opportunity; misinterpreting a single false intelligence could lead to an ambush.

He paused, then described a scene to everyone:

"When a real battle breaks out, the central command tent will be like a marketplace. One person will lift the curtain and come in to report, 'General, Chu scouts have been spotted to the east!' Another will rush in shouting, 'General, the right wing camp has been swept away by a flash flood!' And outside, a fast horse will be yelling at the top of its lungs, 'Urgent military report! Supply lines under attack!'

You've just picked up a scout's report and haven't even figured it out yet, and the next one will be shoved into your hands."

"Back when Wang Jian was facing off against the Chu army at Pingyu, according to his personal guards, the general slept for only a little over an hour each day for five or six days in a row. He held bamboo slips in his hand, stared at the map, and his personal guards fed him a few bites of food. His eyes were bloodshot."

In the days leading up to the final battle, he didn't even close his eyes. After the battle, he lost a lot of weight, and his legs gave way when he left the command tent, almost causing him to collapse.

As soon as he finished speaking, a young man from a prominent family in the front row raised his hand.

It was Wang Chen of the Taiyuan Wang clan, who always boasted of his thorough knowledge of military strategy. He slightly raised his chin:

"Principal, I believe that military reports are sorted and processed by staff officers, each with their own responsibilities. Why is it so exhausting? The commander-in-chief only needs to set the general direction."

Liu Ce glanced at him and laughed, "Alright, then let me ask you. An army of 100, 000 men is 100, 000 dynamic people, 100, 000 variables. Five armies would be 500, 000 men, 500, 000 variables."

Your troops are moving, and so are the enemy's troops; today it rains and the roads are slippery and you can't move; tomorrow the supplies will arrive half a day late; the day after tomorrow some soldiers will suffer from acclimatization problems and fall ill; and the day after that the enemy may launch a surprise attack on the left flank or the right flank.

Your advisors can give you ideas, but who makes the final decision? As the commander-in-chief, you have to keep everything in mind: where are the dozens of troops, what are their conditions, how might the enemy move, and what will be the consequences of each step—you have to calculate all of this clearly.

Dozens of battlefield situations are swirling in your mind simultaneously; you need to coordinate with those above and below, and cooperate with those on both sides—the slightest mistake will ruin everything.