Chapter 116.1
To be honest, there are really not many generals in Great Xia capable of leading troops into battle.
All in all, there are only three. One is the former Grand General Chai Yulang, another is his daughter Chai Yuxin, and the last one is Wang Jinhai, who has only recently pledged allegiance to Great Xia.
Grand General Chai Yulang has fought battles for half his life, and his ability to lead troops has been honed through countless skirmishes on the battlefield.
The same goes for Wang Jinhai, who had fought for many years before joining Great Xia.
As for Chai Yuxin, her skills are deeply rooted in family tradition, having learned from her father.
Apart from these three, there really isnt anyone else who could properly be called a general.
Originally, there were An Lushan and Shi Siming, but unfortunately, these two rebelled and were executed.
Thus, the entire Great Xia was left with only three people, yet they had to command an army of over a million. The difficulty of this task is immense, and its inevitable that they would sometimes find themselves in a tight spot.
Therefore, Great Xia was in dire need of military talent, even more so than any other kind of talent.
And military talent is not something that can be easily cultivated.
Firstly, theres the issue of loyalty. If youre not sufficiently loyal, who would dare entrust you with a large army?
Secondly, theres the issue of capability. The ability to lead troops in battle is a highly practical skill that cannot be honed without years of personal experience in leading soldiers and fighting in battles.
And now, how many people possess the ability to lead troops in battle?
Therefore, without resolving these two issues, we cannot find the right talent.
Minister Cao, what youve said is extremely true! I also feel that our Great Xia indeed lacks sufficient military talent, which has already begun to restrict the development of Great Xias military! However, since you have raised this issue, you must have a solution, right? I am eager to hear the details!
Lin Beifan made a show of listening intently.
Cao Caos heart leaped with joy; as long as the emperor was receptive, things would be easier.
Your Majesty, your humble servant indeed has a method! Considering the shortage of military talent in our dynasty, it seems impractical to recruit from outside. Therefore, my suggestion is that we cultivate our own!
We can select outstanding, loyal junior officers from our own ranks and provide them with focused training! Teach them how to train soldiers and teach them how to lead troops in battle!
In this way, we can quickly cultivate a large number of qualified generals for my use!
Lin Beifan declared loudly. Excellent! I agree with your proposal!
Lin Beifan exclaimed. Why not establish a military academy to continuously cultivate and supply military talent for our dynasty, thus eliminating any future concerns!
Your Majesty is wise; your humble servant fully supports this! Cao Cao declared loudly.
Lin Beifan smiled and said, I will entrust this task to you. If you handle it well, I will promote you and grant you nobility!
I shall obey the decree! Cao Cao declared loudly.
For him, this task was both an opportunity and a challenge.
However, he believed that this could certainly be accomplished successfully!
Come! Lets figure out how to properly set up a military academy!
Lin Beifan became enthusiastic: First is the issue of teachers! A school cannot be without teachers; how do you plan to solve this problem?
Cao Cao bowed and said, Report to Your Majesty, we can invite Grand General Chai Yulang, General Chai Yuxin, and General Wang Jinhai to serve as teachers, providing lectures to the cadets regularly or irregularly! Additionally, your humble servant, though not highly skilled, has some knowledge of military affairs and can teach some basic military knowledge without any problem!
Lin Beifan then asked, What about the teaching materials?
Report to Your Majesty, your humble servant has collected various military texts of our time, extracting the essence and discarding the dross and then compiling a set of practical and effective military principles to impart to the cadets!
Lin Beifan asked further, The academy needs a manager, known as the dean. Who do you think would be suitable for the position?
Cao Cao was about to suggest himself as the most suitable candidate. He indeed desired to become the dean. It would bring prestige and add to his imposing presence.
Once these students graduated, his status as the dean would rise along with their success.
However, considering his limited influence and authority, he feared he might not be able to command respect.
Therefore
Your humble servant believes that within the entire Great Xia, only Your Majesty possesses the qualifications to be the dean!
Why? Lin Beifan asked with a smile.
Cao Cao, flattering, said: Because this institution is designed to cultivate military talents for Great Xia, once they graduate, they will inevitably be heavily utilized by the imperial court, destined to hold major positions, and even be ennobled or appointed as chancellors! Under the heavens, only Your Majesty is qualified to act as the dean of these commanders, and none would object!
If someone else were to be the dean, the commanders might have many objections, which would affect the quality of teaching! Moreover, if that person has ill intentions and takes the opportunity to form cliques, it could even undermine the militarys foundation!
Therefore, I believe that only Your Majesty is the most suitable candidate for the position of dean!
Lin Beifan gave Cao Cao a nonchalant glance.
This guy has already learned how to manipulate the emperor to command the other vassals!
By letting him be the dean, this military academy will be able to promote its agenda smoothly and without obstruction.
Cao Cao, who is in charge of handling this matter, would then be able to wield power by proxy, issue orders, and even have a significant say within the military, exerting a great influence over the various commanders.
None of these historically famous figures were easy to deal with.
Minister Cao speaks sensibly. Therefore, I shall take on the role of the dean of the military academy! However, as I am preoccupied with state affairs, the numerous responsibilities of the academy will still fall upon you! To facilitate your work, I hereby appoint you as the vice-dean of the academy!
Thank you, Your Majesty! Cao Cao was overjoyed.
With Lin Beifans endorsement, Cao Cao set out to establish the military academy with great ambition.
First, he selected a teaching location for the military academy.
Then, he personally visited Chai Yulang, Chai Yuxin, and others, convincing them to serve as instructors at the academy.
There was no problem with that, after all, with His Majestys endorsement behind him, they agreed quite readily.
Next, he prepared some teaching materials for use in training and education.
Finally, he began recruiting the first cohort of students from the various armies.
In the north, General Wang Jinhai had just finished calling the roll when he shouted, you five, step out!
The five men quickly stood forward: General, what are your orders?
General Wang Jinhai said sternly, Pack up your things immediately and return to the capital city!
Ah? Pack up and go back? They were all flustered.
General, why do we have to go back?
Do you not want us anymore?
Is there something weve done wrong? Just tell us, and well change!
Dont send us back, please!
Finally, Wang Jinhai couldnt hold back his laughter. What are you all imagining? You are my most trusted soldiers; how could I possibly not want you? The reason Im sending you back is because youve come upon a stroke of good fortune!
Good fortune? They were all bewildered.
It is indeed a good thing, for the Great Xia Military Academy has opened its doors! The Great Xia Military Academy is a school established under the full supervision of His Majesty, dedicated to cultivating military talent for the nation!
Only those generals who are exceptionally capable and utterly loyal will have the opportunity to study there! Once they return with their education complete, they will be highly valued by the imperial court! You are the first batch of talents I have selected for advanced studies!
Tell me, isnt that a matter of great fortune?
The eyes of the five individuals lit up: Really? Thank you, General! We are grateful for your support!
The other generals congratulated them enviously.
Congratulations, congratulations indeed!
Congratulations to you all!
Upon your promotion, dont forget about us!
Other large camps also selected some outstanding officers to come to the capital for studies.
Soon enough, the opening day of the Great Xia Military Academy had arrived.
On that day, the dean Lin Beifan personally attended to inaugurate the academy.
With Lin Beifan present, other civil and military officials naturally followed suit, making the opening day particularly grand.
After the unveiling ceremony, Lin Beifan delivered an important speech.
Due to the lack of military talent in our country, I have specially established this military academy with the hope of cultivating outstanding military leaders for Great Xia! I can say without any reservation that the Great Xia Military Academy will inevitably become the cradle of generals! I hope that more exceptional generals will emerge from here to serve the nation and defend our borders!
Applause thundered throughout the venue.
The opening ceremony concluded, and formal classes began.
Since this was the first enrollment, only 30 people were admitted, and the training period was tentatively set for one month.
Subsequently, the training results would be reviewed to decide whether to shorten or extend the duration.
Everyone listened very attentively.
There was no choice but to take it seriously, because the first lesson was taught by Lin Beifan himself!
Everyone had thought that Lin Beifan would only give a few admonitions; they never expected him to astonish everyone the moment he began to speak.
Warfare is a matter of vital importance to the state; it is the ground of life and death, the path of survival or destruction, and must be examined with utmost care!
Lin Beifan looked at the group of students with a smile on his face: Everyone, do you understand the meaning of this sentence?
We do not know, Your Majesty, please enlighten us! the crowd said in unison, pretending not to know even if they did.
Very well, I shall tell you now! The meaning of this sentence is that war is not childs play; it is a grave matter for the nation, related to the life and death of soldiers and civilians and to the survival or downfall of the country. It must be considered seriously and treated with caution!
It is for this reason that I have started these classes to teach you all the art of war! It is my hope that you will use the military strategies you learn to resolve conflicts, reduce casualties among soldiers and civilians, and protect our homeland.
Only by deeply understanding this can you master the art of war and serve our country effectively!
Understood, Your Majesty, we have learned our lesson! the crowd responded in unison.
After a few more brief remarks, it was Cao Caos turn to begin the formal lesson.
Lin Beifan sat among the audience, listening to the lecture and found that although Cao Cao was young, he was very knowledgeable.
If he were to lead troops into battle, he would likely prove to be a talented general.
***
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