Chapter 856: Selecting the Academy Head
Daizhou City...
Sun Chuanting sat atop the dilapidated walls of Daizhou, gazing north. His mood was far from good.
The Manchus had retreated, but not because they were "repelled." They had simply plundered their fill and left on their own accord.
Though the "volunteer forces brought by Tie Niaofei" had dealt a heavy blow to the Manchus, it was merely a tactical victory, yielding little strategic gain.
After all, it had been a defensive battle!
Winning a defensive battle a thousand times over would only preserve their territory; it wouldn't change the reality that the enemy was pummeling them, and they were merely enduring the blows.
"When will we finally be able to counterattack and strike at the Manchu stronghold?" Sun Chuanting lamented, clasping his wrist. "I truly yearn to pummel the Manchus, rather than constantly being pummeled by them."
As he brooded in frustration, a mass-produced Heavenly Lord walked over to him, waving a hand. "Hey there, Mr. Sun!"
Sun Chuanting turned his head, recognizing the figure. This was the esteemed guest who had arrived in Daizhou with Instructor He Jiu, seemingly the leader of the "new" Jin merchant group—an incredibly wealthy merchant known as Gentleman Li.
He quickly cupped his hands in greeting toward Li Daoxuan. "A pleasure, Gentleman Li."
Li Daoxuan remarked, "Mr. Sun, gazing north again, lost in thought about the frontier?"
"Indeed!" Sun Chuanting sighed deeply. "The frontier brings endless worry. When will we finally be able to pin the Manchus down and beat them?"
Li Daoxuan wore an odd expression. "In your estimation, Mr. Sun, do we still have a chance to pin the Manchus down and beat them?"
Sun Chuanting hesitated. "Er... well..."
If this question were posed to a civil official ignorant of frontier affairs, they might confidently thump their chest and declare, "Our Heavenly Dynasty, vast and rich, will deal with a bunch of northeastern barbarians sooner or later!"
But Sun Chuanting was adept in both civil and military matters; he understood economics, politics, and military strategy, deeply aware of both their strengths and weaknesses.
So this question left him... frozen!
Li Daoxuan chuckled. "Lost your nerve?"
Sun Chuanting’s expression dimmed. "If we continue to mess things up like this, my Great Ming will never again have the chance to pummel the Manchus. Instead, we'll be repeatedly hammered by them, and perhaps one day... one day... alas..."
Li Daoxuan continued, "Mr. Sun, what do you think of the volunteer forces' combat effectiveness?"
"Formidable!" Sun Chuanting's spirits lifted. "The militia volunteer forces organized by the new Jin merchants are the most potent army I have ever witnessed, bar none."
Li Daoxuan chuckled again. "Then, Mr. Sun, do you believe these volunteer forces could fight their way into the Manchu homeland?"
"Well, with all due respect, no." Sun Chuanting shook his head. "Though the volunteer forces possess formidable combat power, their various commanding generals seem to be... ahem... untrained."
Li Daoxuan smiled. "Oh? Do tell me more."
Sun Chuanting explained, "I acknowledge this army's impressive combat effectiveness, but warfare isn't just about fighting. Military strategy is a crucial component, and several of the volunteer forces' generals are lacking in this regard. I've observed that their camp arrangements are subpar; only Old Nanfeng's unit exhibits decent camping skills, while Gao Chuwu's and Bai Mao's units lack any discernible order, their camps a chaotic mess. Issues range from camp selection to gate orientation and internal divisions—all quite disorganized."
Li Daoxuan chuckled inwardly. *You hit the nail on the head! That's exactly right.*
He smiled slightly. "Mr. Sun, I imagine you can surmise the reason for this."
Sun Chuanting nodded. "After all, they are merely militias, unlike the illustrious generals from established military families who study strategy from childhood."
Li Daoxuan affirmed, "Precisely! Mr. Sun, you've grasped the crux of the matter. This path of military strategy cannot be mastered without formal study. Relying solely on raw, untaught experience, while capable of yielding progress, inevitably demands a heavy tuition—paid with the lives of countless soldiers..."
Sun Chuanting let out a soft "Oh?" He realized that Gentleman Li was speaking with a specific agenda, subtly steering their conversation toward his objective.
Sun Chuanting’s expression immediately grew serious. "Gentleman Li, if you have something to say, please speak plainly. Let’s not beat around the bush."
Li Daoxuan grinned. "Very well, I shall speak plainly then!"
He then shifted his tone. "Our militia volunteer forces, with their advanced weaponry, can indeed overwhelm the Manchus on the battlefield. However, they suffer from a severe deficiency in military strategy. I greatly fear that in the future, the militia might be defeated by enemy tactics such as 'fire attacks,' 'water attacks,' 'valley ambushes,' or even being segmented and surrounded by superior numbers due to improper encampment or strategic miscalculation... and so forth, a myriad of disastrous tactics."
"Therefore, the militia needs to cultivate a corps of commanders," Li Daoxuan stated. "They must not only be skilled fighters but also understand military strategy and tactics, know how to march, establish camps, and deploy formations... This is a highly systematized body of knowledge, and without proper instruction, it cannot be acquired."
Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting finally understood. "You want me to teach them?"
Li Daoxuan replied, "It’s not merely about teaching; I intend to establish a military academy."
"A military academy?" Sun Chuanting looked bewildered. "What is a military academy?"
Li Daoxuan smiled. "Just as private schools teach reading and writing, a military academy specializes in teaching the art of warfare. Didn't you just mention, Mr. Sun, that renowned generals come from martial families and learn 'family traditions' from a young age? How can such crucial knowledge be confined to mere family legacies? If everyone contributed their inherited wisdom and taught others, then every commander in the Great Ming would be proficient in warfare. Would we still fear the Manchus then?"
Sun Chuanting gasped, "Ah!"
He had a point!
Li Daoxuan suggested, "Mr. Sun, imagine for a moment: your profound strategic knowledge combined with the cutting-edge weaponry of the militia volunteer forces. If these two elements were brought together, might we not, one day, be able to pin the Manchus down and thoroughly defeat them?"
Sun Chuanting closed his eyes, indulging in a brief fantasy.
He pictured artillery barrages raining down on the Manchu stronghold of Shengjing, while musketeers lined up the Manchus for execution. Huang Taiji himself, dragged from his hiding hole by militia soldiers, was kicked to the ground and forced to kneel before them. "Spare me! I'll never dare again!" Huang Taiji pleaded desperately.
Ah, it was utter bliss!
Even though it was just an imagined scene, it brought him such profound satisfaction he could barely breathe.
Sun Chuanting's resolve hardened. "I will teach!"
Li Daoxuan exclaimed, "That's truly wonderful! I will entrust the position of Military Academy Headmaster to you, Mr. Sun."
Sun Chuanting, not wishing to delay another moment, immediately set off towards Gao Family Village.
Just as he departed...
In the capital, the Chongzhen Emperor, Zhu Youjian, was perusing Sun Chuanting's memorials: "On the Enemy's Inherent Weaknesses" and "On the Standardization of Logistics and Transport." After reading them, he found them quite insightful and couldn't help but declare, "These two essays are exceptionally well-written. This man possesses remarkable talent for frontier affairs. Find him and appoint him to an official post!"
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