N-A-A Chapter 940 This task really belongs to Cao Shen!
Chapter 940 This task really belongs to Cao Shen!
However, Gao Yao's seemingly calm, yet incontrovertible, question—"What's the matter?"—instantly suppressed all his attempts at evasion. This was the king's order, a formal assignment, not a matter of negotiation. Under the gaze of the entire court, he had no room to retreat.
Cao Shen took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed all his embarrassment, bowed again, and his voice regained its usual calm and firmness: "Yes! I will do my best!"
At this moment, Gao Yao's intentions were clear. He sought not only to honor and trust Cao Shen, but also to pressure and challenge him. He intended to use the "100,000 Iron Cavalry" objective to unleash Cao Shen's full potential, testing his ability to integrate resources and conduct macro-planning beyond military command. This was both a rigid requirement for building a strong national defense and the ultimate test of a powerful ruler's trusted advisors.
Through this seemingly impossible task, he told everyone that in this new dynasty, there is no position for you to sit back and enjoy comfort, and everyone must constantly challenge their limits and strive forward for the future of the empire.
Gao Yao was a master of commanding his subordinates. While his assignments might seem challenging, they actually left room for maneuver within the boundaries of feasibility. The order to raise 100,000 cavalrymen might initially sound like a fairy tale, but a closer look revealed a journey fraught with challenges, but not without a path.
The cornerstone of their confidence stemmed primarily from the glorious victory they had recently won against Western Chu. On the battlefield, swords and spears clashed relentlessly, arrows and stones flew everywhere, and casualties were commonplace. To be able to quickly count, gather, and tame nearly 20,000 serviceable war horses after such brutal fighting was a remarkable achievement.
These captured war horses were not scattered mounts of roving soldiers. Among them were the fine horses ridden by the elite Jiangdong soldiers under Xiang Yu. They had experienced the baptism of war, were physically strong, and adapted to the battlefield, making them extremely valuable seeds.
With this core group of warhorses, the process of massing cavalry training has a solid foundation. While training a qualified cavalryman is a lengthy process, the most challenging step, "building from scratch," has already been taken. These warhorses can serve as stallions, as training aids for new riders, and even directly arm a substantial vanguard cavalry unit. As these forces grow, the gap in mobility between the Gaoyao Group and potential northern rivals and the remaining forces in Kanto is rapidly narrowing.
More crucial was a fundamental shift in the geopolitical landscape. While trapped in Nanjun, they faced no significant enemies, yet the constraints of their geographical environment were equally crucial. Nanjun, with its crisscrossing waterways and rolling hills, was hardly fertile ground for a large-scale cavalry force. Not only were there no abundant horses, but even inferior pack horses were scarce. A skilled cook cannot cook without rice, and even the most ambitious could hardly realize their ambitions. However, now that they had established their capital in Xianyang, the situation was different.
Xianyang, nestled in the Guanzhong Plain, boasts vast expanses of fertile land. Home to the Zhou and Qin dynasties, it has long been a base for raising horses, garrisoning troops, and scheming for world dominance. While its pastures and climate may not rival those of the steppes beyond the Great Wall, the area offers ample scope for establishing a substantial official ranch for the systematic breeding and training of war horses. Breaking free from the constraints of geography, the cultivation of war horses has transformed from a distant dream into a concrete national policy capable of planning and investment.
Besides self-reliance, another shortcut to acquiring war horses was foreign trade. Nomadic peoples like the Xiongnu and Donghu beyond the Great Wall commanded hundreds of thousands of men, and their fine horses were as abundant as the weeds on the grasslands. When trading with them, the most valuable currency wasn't gold, silver, or jade, but their very survival depended on food.
These nomadic peoples lived wherever they could find water and grass, their modes of production being largely dependent on the Central Plains for grain, salt, iron, and cloth. Gaoyao, controlling the granaries of Guanzhong and the newly conquered territories, possessed considerable reserves. Exchanging grain for desperately needed war horses seemed like a fair deal, one in which both sides benefited.
However, Gao Yao was not a short-sighted person. He was well aware of the long-term risks of "supplying food to the enemy." A stone of grain today might buy a warhorse, but it could also indirectly strengthen the enemy's ability to invade the south tomorrow. Therefore, this trade route must be strictly controlled and carefully calculated. The amount of grain exported must be precise enough to meet the demand for warhorses without causing the enemy to covet excessive reserves.
The frequency of transactions and the choice of targets have become difficult questions that require extreme political wisdom to balance. This is tantamount to dancing on the edge of a knife, trying to obtain much-needed strategic resources while avoiding nurturing a tiger that may become a threat.
In summary, while Cao Shen's task of raising 100,000 cavalrymen was immensely daunting, it was no mere pie in the sky. It was a massive, systematic undertaking, requiring close coordination and collaboration across multiple key departments, including the Imperial Household Department, the Internal Affairs Department, and the Department of State Affairs. From the internal breeding and external procurement of warhorses to the selection, training, and equipment of the cavalry, and the enormous financial resources required to maintain this complex supply chain, every step required meticulous effort, leaving no room for error. Gao Yao entrusted Cao Shen with this crucial task precisely because he valued his steadiness.
Gao Yao's personnel selection always implies far-reaching considerations beyond the mission itself. This 100,000-man cavalry project is not only about building a military force, but also a vast vortex of interests and a test of power. The funds required will be calculated in the billions of yuan, and any slight oversight could result in a massive loss of state capital. Therefore, the person in charge must not only be capable, but also possess impeccable character and a reassuring style of conduct.
Cao Shen's steadiness was particularly valuable at this moment. He approached everything with meticulous care, planning meticulously and always examining the root causes and considering the consequences. In a complex undertaking like recruiting cavalry, this trait ensured standardized procedures and minimized obvious loopholes. He meticulously verified every payment for the purchase of war horses and monitored the progress of every ranch construction project, ensuring that resources were used efficiently and legally. His steadiness was the first and most important line of defense in preventing this mountain of gold and silver from being easily depleted.
Han Xin, on the other hand, possessed unparalleled military genius, and Gao Yao was fully aware of his abilities and trusted him. However, Han Xin's style of work favored innovation and speed, excelling at seizing key milestones to achieve breakthroughs. This often led him to neglect the minutiae of process management. He pursued victory in battles and the achievement of strategic objectives, and perhaps lacked the patience for tedious tasks like logistics, accounting, and personnel arrangements.