Time had entered the night, but not for long. Looking out from the window, there were scattered lights in the courtyard. Search: \(¨Completed¨Book¨God¨Station¨) to read high-quality literature for free. Ning Yi leaned against one end of the bed, massaging his wife's calf while chatting with her about recent events after being apart for half a month.

Of course, regardless of his mood, saying another woman was cute in front of his wife was hardly a romantic gesture. Su Tan'er laughed for a while, then said softly, "Does my husband find her cute? Are you thinking of taking Miss Lu as a concubine?"

"Can you handle her?"

Su Tan'er pursed her lips, looking at Ning Yi, "I can't handle that Miss Liu either."

These were, of course, jokes, but talking about others behind their backs only went so far. Su Tan'er bent one leg, watching her husband massage her with a happy expression, "Recently, Xing'er's mood hasn't been very good either."

"What's wrong?"

"Those people who pretended to be her parents... she originally thought they were real, after all, there was some affection there."

"Even though they were only driven away, the situation probably isn't too good... Comfort her more, have Chan'er and Juan'er comfort her."

"Okay."

"Or should we find her a husband?"

"That little girl has high standards; no one in the family catches her eye."

"Is it that no one catches her eye, or she doesn't catch anyone's eye..."

"Of course, she doesn't like them. He Yu, the nephew of the third branch's manager, or the son of Old Cui, the accountant of the old accounting room, both expressed interest in proposing marriage, and..." Su Tan'er counted on her fingers.

"Oh, she's quite popular."

"Of course, everyone envies the three maids of our main branch, Xing'er, Chan'er, and Juan'er. Chan'er has followed you, husband, but Xing'er and Juan'er are still up for grabs..."

What followed were trivial household matters. For Su Tan'er, the situation at home was always well-arranged and taken care of, not requiring Ning Yi's opinion for reference, but if Ning Yi had any suggestions, she would nod in agreement. This was the feeling of a family. After a while, Xing'er came to take care of Su Tan'er, and Ning Yi casually asked about their life in Huzhou. Xing'er didn't plan to complain, winking and nodding, saying it was very, very good... As a maid, she had the ability to regulate her emotions and not let her problems disturb the masters. This was probably the self-cultivation of a good maid. Ning Yi chatted with her for a while, without a chance to offer comfort, so he had to respect her choice.

After the affairs in Hangzhou, he immediately moved to Zhenjiang, and then back to Jiangning, which wasn't to say there was nothing to do. Talking to his wife about Lu Hongti was part of this. When he asked her for help in Hangzhou, he said he would make a five-year plan for her. After several months, on and off, the plan was almost complete. Now that most things had been settled, it would be a little unkind to delay further. In the next few days, he could focus on perfecting this plan for her smuggling stronghold.

Thinking this, he passed through two courtyards and went to Lu Hongti's courtyard, seeing her standing by the well, drawing water. She was slowly cranking the roller with one hand, standing there, not knowing what she was thinking, but when Ning Yi walked over, she reacted and looked over. Ning Yi went over to take over her work.

"Let me do it."

There was probably no gentlemanly conduct in this era, but Lu Hongti wasn't pretentious. She took a step back, watching Ning Yi turn the bucket up. While turning, Ning Yi also leaned over and looked down.

"The courtyard wasn't originally ours. An old man named Tang Xiuxuan lent it to us. I don't know if it's clean... I like to look down the well when I pass by."

"Why?" Lu Hongti tilted her head and asked.

"I heard that wealthy families kill maids and concubines, destroying the bodies, pushing people into the well, so I often feel like there are corpses inside."

This made Lu Hongti laugh, but she then took a wooden spoon, scooped up some water, and drank a few mouthfuls, which made Ning Yi a little speechless. Then he followed suit and tasted it. The well water was very sweet, so it probably hadn't been soaking anything strange. Ning Yi asked if the spring water in the mountains was better, but Lu Hongti thought it was about the same.

"Anyway, thank you for everything recently. Without you, I probably wouldn't have been able to come back alive from Hangzhou."

He formally thanked her, and then Ning Yi talked to Lu Hongti in more detail about the situation of the Lüliang Mountains. Over the past few months, he had said everything he needed to say. The advice and opinions Ning Yi wanted to give had already been written into a thick booklet. Lu Hongti's stronghold in the Lüliang Mountains was still drawn up as a three-no-man's-land smuggling base.

Ning Yi might only be able to come up with a few ideas based on the Badao Camp template on how to operate a stronghold, how to unite and negotiate with others, but he was extremely proficient in economic matters: what kind of goods, how to smuggle them, how to secretly control them, how to guide and lure others with benefits, how to observe the price rise and fall of various items in a seemingly fair environment, how to adjust the profits to favor yourself as much as possible without being noticed, what cases and tricks. All of these things were written in the booklet. Of course, how to use them still depended on Lu Hongti's own judgment.

Usually joking around, Ning Yi could relax people, make them scold, make them laugh, but once he got down to business, he was extremely serious, enough to infect others. After chatting like this for a while, Ning Yi returned to the side courtyard and went into the study to further improve his ideas, burying himself in writing. More than an hour later, Lu Hongti remembered something and went to discuss it with Ning Yi. Ning Yi wrote while discussing the content with Lu Hongti.

They chatted like this until late at night, and the topic shifted from simple stronghold and smuggling. Ning Yi knew that Lu Hongti was probably leaving in a few days, so he could tell her many unformed ideas.

"... Actually, I've been thinking about some things recently, about those battles in the North. You know, I don't know anything about war, but some things can be understood from human nature, and the results are similar, so I've been thinking recently, why did we lose?"

Lu Hongti didn't know what he wanted to say, nodding as if she understood: "Mm."

"The reasons are varied in everyone's statements. There are different results from different directions. I have several letters here, sent from Bianjing, though they may not be for me... In this great battle in the North, Wang Bing and Yang Keshi were hesitant at first. When they wanted to fight, many people in the middle and lower levels interfered, arguably following Tong Guan's intentions, or the intentions of some large families who had business with the Liao, all kinds of interests were at odds, and it all makes sense. Later, when they lost their nerve, they collapsed upon encountering the enemy in several major battles, everyone focusing on escaping, suffering a complete defeat, but on the other hand, some small conflicts involving a hundred or so people could be won again. After all, the difference between people isn't too great..."

Ning Yi waved his hand: "Honestly, after seeing these things for a long time, I think they're all normal, and I like to look for complex reasons. But if we start from the perspective of human nature, we can make a simple model. Why can small-scale engagements be won? Because the difference in ability between people isn't too great after all. Why are large-scale ones bound to lose? Actually, it's very simple. Let's say we're in a team of 100,000 people. I'm one of them, and that's enough. No matter how complex the reason, there's only one thought."

What he said was actually a little confusing to Lu Hongti at first. She didn't understand what he wanted to say, but she had to listen. Ning Yi smiled: "The bottom line is that I don't trust the companions around me. No matter how strong I am, I can't beat tens of thousands of people. As soon as the battle starts, I think to myself, we're definitely going to lose. Why? Because they, you guys, will definitely turn around and run in a moment, so I have to run too. When tens of thousands of people are thinking this way, no matter how strong the leader is, they can't beat others. And after losing many times on the battlefield, this psychology becomes even more deeply ingrained. Actually, everyone isn't thinking that we can't win against the Liao, but... the people around us will definitely run. That's the key."

Lu Hongti thought, nodding: "Of course, but... what can be done about that..."

"I've thought about some things, some things that I thought were useless before, but now it seems they're actually quite useful." Ning Yi thought for a moment, then smiled and gesticulated: "Two things, trust and rules. There are many small things to do, some small games about trust, like having someone stand on a two-meter platform, spread their arms and fall backward, letting their companions catch them from behind. Everyone does it once a day. If the companion doesn't catch them, they might fall and break their heads. Then... standing at attention, marching in formation, strictly fulfilling military orders and regulations... Heh, maybe that's asking for too much all at once, but these things don't have to be done every day, but they can be done for a period of time every day. I've already written it in the book..."

Ning Yi smiled, as if he had figured something out. As someone who came from a thousand years later, he would also be confused by many things, for example, if you said how strong the People's Liberation Army was in the society of a thousand years later, people would laugh, thinking that standing at attention, lining up in formations, and folding quilts were powerful? Then it would feel like these were purely superficial requirements and forms, but in fact, they contain extremely deep human management science.

Ten thousand people facing one thousand people, does it really come down to all Han people being pigs? Does it purely come down to internal struggles? In fact, even if ten thousand people stood still, letting one thousand people attack them in a purely mechanical and chaotic way, one thousand people probably couldn't win. Why do they lose? It's not because each of the ten thousand people is too weak, but because the vast majority of people subconsciously have a thought: "They will definitely run." Rather than simply "I am not as good as the Liao people."

Small-scale battles have a chance to win because they know each other. As long as they have thoughts like "We can win" and "Everyone won't run," the army will fight to the death. However, when forming a formation of ten thousand people, everyone is still thinking, "Everyone will definitely run." Especially when there are many defeats as precedents, one person is afraid, and the whole group turns around.

Doing the same thing, stepping in the same way, jumping off the platform, the companions will always catch them, and they will definitely catch them. After the military rules are instilled into everyone's bones in various small things, even in a formation of ten thousand people, he knows from this end that anyone he doesn't know at the other end won't run away. Even if people just think "Military orders are like mountains, everyone wouldn't dare to run," ten thousand people can't lose to one thousand people under any circumstances.

Like the Badao Camp, they have done enough to build trust with each other to some extent, but that is the maintenance of various emotions. Once the Badao Camp wants to expand, this trust will be diluted. In the history of China since ancient times, as long as an army can achieve "Military orders are like mountains," it can often make a name for itself. After these things are done, what determines victory or defeat is logistics and supply, planning and strategy, because only to this extent can an army be called several.

Ning Yi used to be somewhat indifferent to these seemingly ordinary army training methods, not because he thought they were useless, but because he thought ancient times had ancient circumstances. For the Badao Camp, he didn't have these ideas and requirements. But now he can think clearly: these things, various trust games in the army, the strictness of formations and marching, are all constantly accumulating a kind of psychological suggestion: "The people around me, I know what they are like" and "Military orders are like mountains, running away will definitely be punished, definitely die."

He wrote these things in the book for Lu Hongti.

"It's not necessary to practice all day long, but you can train for a period of time every day. Those small games about increasing trust with each other can be done every day. You can choose what you want to require yourself. It doesn't necessarily mean that this will make you an elite army, but it will definitely have an effect..."

He explained these things in detail, but many terms were naturally modern. Lu Hongti didn't know if she had adapted to his style, looking down, not knowing what she was thinking. Only after a long time did she look up and look at him: "Liheng, what do you want to turn my stronghold into?"

"Uh..." Ning Yi was stunned for a moment, then he understood what Lu Hongti meant. Her stronghold, which gathered many bandits, was planning to do large-scale smuggling in the future, so the rules must be relatively loose. He couldn't help but laugh: "Heh, since you want to train, set the requirements higher. Anything is fine, martial force is the most important. Making money isn't difficult. After having money, it's important to convert it into combat power. It's fine however it turns out. Take it one step at a time."

"Liheng, do you know what Lüliang will become if there really is such an elite army?"

Ning Yi thought for a moment: "Could it be killing Tian Hu, resisting the Liao bandits, declaring independence and becoming queen... That wouldn't be bad either."

This was naturally a joke. Ning Yi had certain expectations for these methods, but the expectations were naturally not so great. As long as you understand the purpose of these trainings, and do them, you can become a qualified army to some extent. As long as there can be a qualified army, at least in the Lüliang Mountains, perhaps they won't be bullied. As for the other things, he doesn't have to think too much now.

They chatted for a while, and it was almost midnight. When the topic was about to end, Lu Hongti asked a question that she had been thinking about for a long time: "Ning Liheng, what do you actually want to do?"

"Hmm?"

Lu Hongti looked at him: "You help the Badao Camp, and you help the Wu Dynasty. Sometimes you look like a saint, and sometimes you look more cold-blooded than anyone else. Many times you have a big picture view more than anyone else, but many times I feel like I don't understand what your big picture is at all. Before, you seemed to completely ignore how the imperial court was. In Jiangning, I told you about those things about creating peace for all ages, and you sneered at them. Now you want to go to the capital again. Which side are you on, and what do you want to do?"

"Didn't I say it? The Wu Dynasty is very dangerous, and I'm not clear about myself now either... Heh, I know what you want to ask." Ning Yi said a few words, then smiled, shook his head, and packed up the things on the table: "I'm not planning to do something for all the people in the world. The idea of creating peace for all ages is meaningless. But... for example, when a team of us fled Hangzhou, there was a little girl on the road, her parents were probably dead, she was with her grandmother, there was nothing to eat on the road, she was very hungry, I gave her a bun, she ate it in big bites, I would think this little girl is very cute, if possible, for that feeling, I can kill the entire Fang La army behind Hangzhou... I mean if I had the ability to do so at the time."

"But expanding this feeling to all the people in the world is a stupid thing. People do things for the situation they can see. If someone tells me that there are a million such little girls suffering in the North, I would only think, what does that have to do with me? Most of the so-called people in the world are like pigs and dogs, beyond salvation. People should first save themselves, and then actively maintain some things that they think are good. That's already enough."

"Honestly, when fleeing, or after Hangzhou was broken, seeing some people, encountering very miserable things, if possible, I would hope that there would be as few of these things around me as possible. This idea is very simple, I am not great at all, and I have never thought of dying for this matter." He said, "It's just that someone named Qin played chess with me, he wanted to save the world, I think this idea is very admirable, although I don't want to... and Qian Xiwenc in Hangzhou..."

As he said these things, Lu Hongti was looking at him all the time, listening carefully, but for some reason, when he said this, the other person's face seemed to suddenly turn red.

"... So, I just feel that if I can do something, I can help a little, and no matter what the result is in the end, it's better than standing aside and making sarcastic remarks. Heh, I'm not helping the imperial court or anything, helping the Badao Camp, helping Qin Siyuan, helping you do these things, it's all personal interest, and it's not aimed at all the people in the world..."

For some reason, Lu Hongti's expression became more and more strange and subtle.

"Honestly, in that fleeing team, only that little girl was cute, the rest of the people were really all kinds of messy people, robbing other people's things, killing people for revenge, carrying their own broken things and refusing to throw them away, and thinking of using others as bait, in the end they would only harm their own people. The people in the world are like this, I really don't have such a noble idea to do anything for the people in the world... Uh, what's wrong with you?"

"N-nothing..." Lu Hongti replied, her expression seemed to temporarily return to normal, and she smiled, "Nothing, I'll go back to my room first."

"Oh, good night."

Ning Yi looked at her departing figure, feeling a little puzzled. He raised his head and thought for a long time, still feeling a little troubled.

"Uh... Did I say something wrong..."

Maybe I was too selfish and not noble enough, and was despised...

In the end, I can only make such an answer.

River and Mountain Iron Sword is quite enthusiastic. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote for recommendation votes and monthly passes. Your support is my biggest motivation.)

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