Guo Shao picked up the teacup and took a sip. He was so hot that he stretched out his tongue and took a breath. Then the taste was not right, and he frowned slightly without paying attention. He was not a person who paid attention to tea ceremony, nor was he picking at all. However, he felt something that was used to drinking, and he still realized it if he felt something wrong.

At this time, Dong Sanmei said timidly: "Your Majesty, isn't it too hot?"

"It's okay, it'll be cool for a while." Guo Shao said kindly, and then said casually, "It's better not to make tea immediately after boiling water."

When Guo Shao heard her respond in a low voice, he ignored it, picked up a cloth bag on the table, took out a large stack of paper. Then he sat there and read it casually. Seeing this, Dong Sanmei carefully left the study room and did not dare to disturb him.

These papers were military orders left during the Battle of the Southern Tang Dynasty. They were not military orders in the Central Army, but important military orders recorded by the "Jiangnan Forecasting Military Office" sent to civil servants at all levels. Guo Shao had read them once when he appreciated the merits of the soldiers, but he only read them a rough one, mainly because Wang Pu and other military staff carefully studied them in order to evaluate military merits.

This "command system" is an evolutionary version of the transmission system that Guo Shao had scheduled a few years ago. During the Battle of the Southern Tang Dynasty, Guo Shao found it very useful... Compared with the early system, after the Privy Council sent officials to form the "Jiangnan Forecasting Military Office", a team of staff integrating into all levels of the army, the issuance of military orders was more formal, and a large amount of written materials were retained, which was easier to manage rewards and punishments after the war.

However, the essence of military power has not changed at all. The decision-makers are still the chief generals, the staff officials, and the commanders only play an auxiliary role; it is mainly an effective transmission, and the management of filing can also play a role in supervision.

...Now Guo Shao has a new idea. If the generals divide their power in the staff group system, military generals have military talents take the decision-making power, and the staff group has the executive power; the subordinates only comply with the formal military orders of the staff group, then will the military power of the general be reduced by restrictions?

Guo Shao hurriedly recorded this idea on paper. He could even further improve the distribution of power, divide the execution power of the staff, the reward and punishment power of the military law, the management power of weapons, armor, the dispatching power of military supplies, money and grain, etc. into various departments, and integrate them during wartime. In this way, it is almost impossible for a certain force to control the army alone and launch a war.

Even the main army of the central field battles, generals who usually command, organize training, and generals who go to the expedition to lead troops can be separated. When the generals take charge of military power, their subordinates are not the ones that the generals usually win over, and it is even more difficult for them to join the generals to seek rebellion.

...But Guo Shao soon realized that this method was at least not suitable for the current situation.

He remembered a typical military general, Shi Yanchao. Shi Yanchao's cavalry is very powerful in combat formations, and has always been a sharp knife of the imperial guards; however, if Shi Yanchao had not led his troops, those cavalry soldiers would have been greatly reduced!

Guo Shao looked at the shadow swaying slightly on the water of the teacup, and for a moment, many pictures appeared in his mind.

He got up step by step from a young man and a low-level general. He experienced various battle formations, and the colorful battlefield scenes came to his heart. Cold weapons battlefields, face-to-face fighting, very violent and barbaric, and the role of courage and morale is very important.

He seemed to be in a chaotic battlefield, with sharp arrows flying on his head, and crazy enemy troops holding sharp swords and guns in front of him stabbing people! It is not easy to not be afraid and not want to escape, especially when the murderous enemy troops rushed towards him.

After the battle, the Privy Councilor Wang Pu organized people to count the wounds of the casualties and soldiers after the outbreak of the war. He confirmed one thing: Although protected by armor, the number of people killed and injured in long-range weapons such as crossbows, bows and arrows is far more harmful than those caused by melee weapons; but the decision of victory or defeat is not long-range, but melee rushing. And melee rushing, the most test of courage and morale... Thinking about the heavy war horse's shaking swords and guns rushing towards each other, and the psychological feeling of being hit by a car in the middle of the road, people who can still decide to fight hard are not something that can be done casually.

At this time, the prestige and ability of the generals who lead the soldiers are particularly important. Familiar good generals can give the soldiers a sense of trust and security.

Guo Shao now truly understands why "the soldiers do not know the generals, and the generals do not know the soldiers" greatly reduces their combat effectiveness on the battlefield of cold weapons.

So at least we can't do that now, nor can we disperse our power too much; otherwise, the army and generals will act dull and lack flexibility... In order to maximize the protection of combat effectiveness, Guo Shao planned not to rush to change the structure of military power, and only fine-tune and improve the "shuofu" and "shogunate".

...

In a house next door, Yulian stopped the needlework in her hand, looked up and asked, "I asked you to stay by Alang's side to serve, why are you running over again?"

Dong Sanmei said embarrassedly: "Alang is busy reading and writing. I am clumsy, afraid that he will be disturbed and make him angry."

"Then you go over here later, don't stick to me." Yulian said, then said nothing, and buried herself in continuing to do her own work, as if she had no idea about everything.

Dong Sanmei stayed for a while, then picked up a rag and wiped the decorations in the room. She was used to doing housework and was very quick to do.

However, there are still many things that make her "lazy". At this time, the two pots of flowers on the window attracted her attention. The pots were green, red, yellow, and very bright and beautiful. She stopped, bent down and looked at one of the pots of flowers. They were not real flowers, but manual; but they were made vividly and exquisitely, which made Dong Sanmei very curious.

After a closer look, the flower pot is carved with jade. The green leaves are made of jade, the flowers are gems, and the stems are gold! The materials are valuable and the carved are very fine... How much time does such an ornament take?

Dong Sanmei couldn't help but exclaim: "So beautiful."

Yulian said: "No matter how beautiful it is, it is fake."

Dong Sanmei said, "It's much more expensive than it is, right?"

"That's right." Yu Lian said without raising her head, "I found that this is the case in this palace. There are few trees and everything is expensive. But after staying for a while, it feels a bit deadened... But there is only this kind of thing, it's still so beautiful in winter."

Dong Sanmei said, "So young, what should I use to wipe it?"

Yu Lian said: "Don't worry about those things, there are people who specialize in these things."

The night had already fallen, and the courtyard was very quiet. In fact, dozens of people were on duty here. However, without Yulian nodding, the women could not get close to the suite where Guo Shao lived, so of course they did not dare to make noise.

After a long time, it was almost time for Guo Shao to take a shower and change his clothes. Yulian then joined Dong Sanmei to work and asked her to serve Guo Shao alone. Yulian said, "I am not bullying you, I am giving you a chance."

Dong Sanmei's face turned slightly red, and she lowered her head and said, "I know Sister Yulian is nice to me."

Yulian suddenly asked again: "You are willing to do it?"

Dong Sanmei didn't say anything, Yulian glanced at her: "If you really don't want to, I won't force you."

Dong Sanmei was silent for a while and murmured: "I am willing... Alang treats me so well, and I always want to repay my kindness."

"You will think about it, thinking about repaying kindness. You are reluctant, too many people are willing. If I send someone to Alang to serve, that person will not remember me as a great favor?" Yulian smiled, "Besides, when he was in Guo's mansion, Alang seemed to ignore you, why should he treat you well?"

Dong Sanmei's mind saw a few years ago when she met a villain in Hedong. The moment Guo Shao covered her eyes, his palms were rough but warm. Dong Sanmei still remembered the faint warmth. But she was unwilling to mention that matter to anyone, including to Yulian.

She thought for a while and said, "Sister Yulian, when I was a child, I couldn't eat enough, and everyone around me couldn't eat enough. The house was broken and dark, and I was very scared every night, and I was hungry, cold and afraid in winter..."

Yulian stopped working and couldn't help looking at her.

Dong Sanmei pursed her lips and said, "No one can survive the hard days. I heard that some people went out to be thieves, but most of them died later... There is still a long way to go, a young lady was taken to be a concubine by a wealthy family. She was thirteen to nineteen and was bullied very badly. However, she was finally driven out by her master who was too old. She usually saved some money and her life was better after she came back..."

Yulian sighed.

Dong Sanmei continued to whisper: "With our background, it is difficult to live a better life; but I did nothing and had no use. But Alang gave me such a good life and whispered to me without beating or scolding me."

Yu Lian said: "This is the way of the world. So many people have never eaten anything to eat, and they can't even afford to buy a coffin in the end. Some people are dressed in luxury and don't know how to have fun, and they hate everything!"

Dong Sanmei said: "Sister Yulian, I am not that kind of person. I am very happy in the Guo family's mansion and in the palace. I think this place is also very good..."

She looked back and forth. The exquisitely carved window lattices, gold and jade decorations, emerald green gauze windows, silk curtains, and many candles on the copper lamp stands illuminated the house, from the tables, chairs, cabinets to the ground, clean and tidy, spotless. Although the clothes Dong Sanmei wore were relatively plain, the materials were also very good. Many wealthy families may not have the materials on her.

Dong Sanmei showed a smile on her face, but she had a very secretive feeling, as if she was going to give something alone. She whispered: "Sister Yulian, then I'll go there first."

"Yeah." Yulian responded, without saying much.
Chapter completed!