Zhao Song: My father was Emperor Taizu of Song

Chapter 39 Training Soldiers

"What, you have a problem with that, kid?" Zhao Dezhao tapped Li Jilong on the head. "Call me 'Big Brother'!"

Thanks to his superior genes, Zhao Dezhao was taller than Li Jilong at this time.

"Big brother..."

Li Jilong reluctantly called out, muttering things like "I am not strong enough" and "You are His Highness, so you have the right to say that."

"My dear second brother." Zhao Dezhao smiled, his eyes narrowing as he ruffled Li Jilong's hair. "By the way, why did you come alone this time? Where's that little guy with the lisp from last time? And Wang Chengyan?"

"Your Highness..." Seeing the dangerous look in Zhao Dezhao's eyes, Li Jilong quickly changed his words: "Brother, you don't know, His Majesty's willingness to teach me military strategy was granted by my father, who specially asked His Majesty for permission. Han Chongxun naturally cannot come."

"As for that Wang Chengyan..." Li Jilong glanced at Zhao Dezhao, "Does he dare to come again?"

"That's true..."

He muttered a reply without thinking, but then Zhao Dezhao remembered something else.

No wonder Li Chuyun willingly drew that knife in court that day; there was another reason behind it.

His father not only used Li Chuyun as a pawn, but also managed to win over the hearts of the Li family father and son. He's really good at this scheme... I still need to learn from him.

Just as I was feeling sentimental, a high-pitched voice of a palace attendant came from outside the door.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

With a dark face and imposing stature, Zhao Kuangyin strode in with steady steps.

He was not wearing a dragon robe today, but a black, narrow-sleeved military uniform. His expression lacked the majesty of the court and instead showed the fierceness of a battlefield general.

As he walked toward Zhao Dezhao and Li Jilong, an immense pressure, as imposing as a mountain and as vast as the sea, swept over them. Both of them instinctively held their breath, no longer daring to joke around, and quickly bowed in respect.

"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."

Their movements were so precise that they could almost be taken out for a practice session.

There was no way around it; the pressure Zhao Kuangyin exerted on them was simply too immense. In his presence, the two were like lambs facing a tiger. The sheer murderous aura emanating from Zhao Kuangyin, as if he had emerged from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, was enough to make them tremble with fear.

No need for formalities.

Zhao Kuangyin raised his hand in greeting, but without stopping, he walked straight up to the two men, looking down at them with a calm yet undeniably authoritative tone:

"Today is the first time that you two will be learning military strategy and martial arts from me. Let me make things clear to you first."

"Once you enter this martial arts hall, you are no longer princes or nobles, but simply my disciples and soldiers in the army."

"Rules and laws are both indispensable, understand?"

"Your subject understands!"

The two answered in unison in deep voices, straightening their backs even more.

Zhao Kuangyin nodded in satisfaction, his gaze sweeping over the two men, and said slowly, "The art of war is profound and complex, and cannot be mastered in a day."

"Today, I will begin by teaching you the most basic skills—knowing the enemy's weaknesses and deploying troops!"

"Remember this: in times of chaos, the most important thing in warfare is to know the enemy. If you do not know the enemy's strength, weaknesses, and movements, even if you have twice the strength, it will be difficult to win."

As he spoke, he raised his hand to summon a eunuch standing nearby and ordered, "Bring the sand table!"

The eunuch acknowledged and withdrew. A moment later, he carried in a four-foot square sand tray and carefully placed it on a wooden table that had been prepared in advance in the square.

The sand table was covered with a layer of white sand, with undulating surfaces. Next to it were dozens of small wooden figures and flags, representing the troops of both sides.

Zhao Kuangyin walked to the sand table, picked up a few wooden figures engraved with the character "Song", and arranged them into a simple square formation on the high ground on the left side of the sand table. He then picked up a few unmarked wooden figures and arranged them into a scattered formation on the right side.

"If we were to suddenly engage in a small-scale skirmish, with 300 of our troops positioned on higher ground and 500 enemy troops attacking from lower ground, how would we respond?"

Before beginning his lectures, Zhao Kuangyin intended to conduct a preliminary test to assess the two men's understanding of military strategy.

Zhao Dezhao stepped forward first, staring at the sand table with a furrowed brow, deep in thought.

Although he had written many historical online articles and watched many war-themed films and books in his previous life, this was the first time he had ever truly come into contact with military strategy.

Fortunately, Zhao Dezhao had some basic knowledge of military strategy in his memory. After pondering for a moment, he pointed to the high ground on the sand table and tried to express his opinion:

"Father, we are positioned on high ground, giving us a significant advantage. We can place archers at the front to suppress the enemy's attack with arrows, then have spearmen line up behind them. Once the enemy's offensive is thwarted, we can then order a charge. Can we break through their defenses?"

Zhao Kuangyin remained noncommittal, then turned to Li Jilong: "And you?"

Li Jilong stepped forward, and almost without hesitation, picked up a thin wooden stick and pointed it at the sand table:

"Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, simply holding the line is not the best strategy."

"The enemy's forces are stronger than ours. If we force a charge, our archers may not be able to hold out for long."

"It would be better to position thirty archers on both sides of the high ground to form a crossfire, which can suppress the enemy and avoid being attacked head-on. Then, have one hundred and fifty spearmen line up to guard the entrance to the high ground, supplemented by twenty short swordsmen for protection."

"The remaining 100 infantrymen are divided into two teams: 50 as reserves and the other 50 quietly circle around to the rear of the high ground. When the enemy's main force attacks the front of the formation, they will launch a surprise attack from the flank and rear, attacking from both sides. This will make the enemy mistakenly believe that reinforcements are coming, thus demoralizing them and potentially defeating them in one fell swoop."

When practicing military tactics, Li Jilong seemed like a different person, his eyebrows raised and his eyes full of arrogance and confidence.

As he spoke, he moved the pieces on the sand table, clearly displaying the formation.

The deployment of crossfire, the allocation of reserves and assault teams were all well-organized, taking into account defense, counterattacks, and the morale of both sides. At the same time, the tactics of combining feints and real attacks left Zhao Dezhao completely bewildered.

One can only say that the art of military strategy truly requires talent.

Some people are born in Rome, like Li Jilong.

Looking back now, if Li Chuyun hadn't died young in his previous life, and if Murong Yanzhao hadn't suppressed him, Li Jilong probably would have risen to power long ago, instead of waiting until the reign of Emperor Zhenzong...

Even Zhao Kuangyin's eyes flashed with surprise, and he looked at Li Jilong with more interest, as if he had seen a rough gem.

Unexpectedly, my son actually found a treasure.

"Ji Long's strategy takes into account both offense and defense, and knows how to use the situation to counterattack. It is quite methodical."

He glanced at Zhao Dezhao: "Are you aware of your own shortcomings?"

Zhao Dezhao's face flushed slightly, feeling a strange sense of shame, like a poor student facing a top student. He bowed and said, "Your subject only knows how to defend, but has forgotten that offense is the best defense."

"Offense is the best defense...that's a fair statement."

Zhao Kuangyin's tone softened somewhat: "However, military strategy is not about memorizing rules, but about being flexible and adaptable. As the saying goes, war is about deception."

"Zhao'er, what you lack is this thoughtfulness and adaptability, while Jilong, your strength lies in your agility, though you are talented, you are somewhat theoretical..."

He picked up a thin wooden stick and explained in detail the strengths and weaknesses of the two men's deductions, breaking them down one by one from the use of terrain and the allocation of troops to the control of morale. His words were simple and easy to understand, yet every word was precious.

It must be said that Zhao Kuangyin, as the foremost military strategist of his time, was also very skilled in teaching.

The two listened intently, becoming completely absorbed and nodding in agreement from time to time.

Zhao Dezhao became even more determined, putting in the same effort he had put into preparing for the college entrance examination and mock exams in his previous life. He not only listened but also took out paper and pen to write down all the key points his father had said.

At this moment, he was like a sponge, frantically absorbing water.

On the other hand, Li Jilong glanced at Zhao Dezhao with surprise, thinking to himself.

This is so simple, shouldn't you just listen to it once and you'll understand...?

Do I even need to remember this?