I run a training class in Shu Han

You need to repeat Chapter 70 to me once.

"Zhuge Qiao".

"Your subject is here."

"Can you tell me why you are so fixated on calculating the loss of grain supplies?"

Liu Shan was a little confused. This wasn't a math problem, nor was it some kind of physics or science. Why were even new and old soldiers being so meticulous and pursuing extreme details?

Zhuge Qiao hesitated only slightly before saying, "Your Majesty, provisions are a matter of life and death for the soldiers and officers, and cannot be ignored. When the court fights, it is all about logistics, and it is all about provisions. Every grain of rice must be calculated clearly."

"The imperial court is confined to a corner of the country, and almost all of the army's provisions have to be sent from Yizhou to the front lines. To the east of Yizhou, there are rivers that flow down the Yangtze River, which can deliver provisions to the eastern front with minimal losses and at the fastest speed."

"On the northern front, to deliver grain to Hanzhong, we had to rely on mules, horses, oxen, and even manpower to cross mountains and valleys. The amount of grain and fodder consumed in this process was far greater than the grain and fodder needed to supply the army. How could I not be aware of such a huge consumption?"

Zhuge Liang both loved and strictly disciplined his stepson, which is why he exposed him to court affairs at a very young age.

Perhaps that is why he attaches such importance to logistics and supplies.

This is no longer an ordinary graduation thesis; it contains Zhuge Qiao's concerns about the future of the country.

Liu Shan knew that Zhuge Qiao's concern for grain supplies must have been influenced by Zhuge Liang.

After all, most of the subsequent Northern Expeditions were forced to retreat due to insufficient supplies.

Liu Shan sighed, "If we calculate the grain supply accurately today, the enemy will find a different route to plunder it tomorrow. If we calculate it accurately this month, it will rain next month."

"Even the Prime Minister, who has spent most of his life calculating, has his moments of error. Why dwell on it?"

Zhao Tong chimed in, "That's right, there's no such thing as an absolutely safe supply route on the battlefield. The enemy will always find a way to cut off our supplies."

Zhuge Qiao said, "I understand, but I only want to do everything within my control to share the burden for my father and the court."

Liu Shan suddenly realized that Zhuge Qiao's pursuit of the ultimate in calculation was probably related to his surrounding environment.

His biological father was the Left General of Eastern Wu, and his older brother Zhuge Ke was known as a "child prodigy" in his youth and was appointed Cavalry Commandant at the age of 20.

After being adopted, Zhuge Liang was known as "Sleeping Dragon." He possessed extraordinary talent and served as the Chancellor of Shu Han, second only to the emperor.

In such an environment, Zhuge Qiao had to be overly demanding of perfection.

"Bosong, do you know that 'the Great Derivation Number is fifty, its use is forty-nine, and one is omitted'?"

Apart from Zhuge Qiao, everyone else present was completely baffled.

Zhang Bao, in particular, lowered his head, hooked his fingers, and murmured, "Fifty minus forty-nine, isn't that just one left?"

Zhuge Liang was well-versed in the I Ching and skilled in Qimen Dunjia. Zhuge Qiao, influenced by his surroundings, naturally also studied the I Ching extensively.

"The Way of Heaven is perfected at fifty, and its Way extends to forty-nine. The concept of 'escaping one' means taking one out to evolve the Great Way of Heaven and Earth. Therefore, 'the Way gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things.'"

Liu Shan looked at him with approval and continued, "The 'one' that has been 'eliminated' signifies that even heaven and earth are incomplete, so how can there be any such thing as perfection in this world? But what you have calculated is within the Great Dao, thus leaving a glimmer of possibility for change."

"The reason you can't calculate it all is because there is this variable of 'one,' and what you need to solve is this 'one.'"

Zhuge Qiao was somewhat puzzled. After thinking for a moment, he cupped his hands and said, "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

"Since you can't calculate it accurately no matter how you try, then think about what to do when you can't calculate it accurately."

"That is, an emergency plan."

Zhuge Qiao reacted quickly and immediately understood Liu Shan's meaning.

"Your Majesty means that I should focus on 'preparation' and 'response' rather than 'calculation'."

Liu Shan smiled with satisfaction.

"This child is teachable."

Zhang Bao was completely confused and asked in a gruff voice, "What do you mean by 'prepare' and 'respond'? Can you explain it more clearly?"

After receiving Liu Shan's hint, Zhuge Qiao saw through the fog and calmly said, "Your Majesty means that we don't need to get bogged down in the exact calculation of grain losses; we only need to make a rough estimate of grain consumption."

"The key points are the last two."

"Preparation means preparing more grain and fodder, more routes, and more equipment for transporting grain. It is better to be prepared than not."

"The response means having emergency measures in the face of unexpected situations. For example, if the supply route is intercepted, should we change routes to continue transporting supplies to ensure that the soldiers at the front are well-fed, or should we send troops to retrieve the supplies?"

"The ultimate goal is to ensure that the soldiers at the front do not fight on an empty stomach."

Hmm, that's the vibe.

The transportation of provisions is actually similar to modern supply chain management. Zhuge Qiao's consideration was how to get the provisions to the front line faster, and only then did he consider the loss of the grain, that is, reducing costs.

Zhuge Qiao didn't dare to think about it before because the cost of transporting grain was too high, so he prioritized reducing costs.

Now that Hanzhong has begun to cultivate land, if Hanzhong can be transformed back into a granary, then transportation losses will not be a primary concern.

All three students had finished their graduation theses, leaving only Guan Xing.

Zhang Bao seemed to have seized the opportunity and vowed to avenge the previous "arrow wound".

"Your Majesty, it's my turn to speak now."

Liu Shan nodded in agreement.

"Guan Xing is a cunning lad, full of tricks for fighting, but he's also prone to changing his mind, jumping from one thing to another. If he were alone, it would be fine, but he likes to boss people around, and with all his changes, nobody knows what he's trying to do, so nobody listens to him anymore."

Although Zhang Bao's explanation was simple, Liu Shan immediately understood the key points.

"You're talking nonsense. Everyone was willing to follow me, but later there were disagreements, and they stopped listening to my instructions and acted recklessly."

Zhuge Qiao added, "Anguo has a very active mind and always has ingenious ideas on the battlefield, but he lacks a global perspective and experience in command and coordination, and in the end, he himself gets into chaos as the battle progresses."

Guan Xing scratched the back of his head sheepishly and said, "It wasn't as bad as you think. My command was pretty good in the early stages..."

Compared to Zhang Bao, Guan Xing was more receptive to Zhuge Qiao's advice.

"Anguo, you enjoy commanding large armies in battle and you certainly have the talent of a general, but you have overlooked a crucial issue."

"I ask you, among generals who can command tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of troops, who is your favorite?"

Guan Xing immediately replied, "Of course it's my father. He besieged Fancheng, flooded the seven armies, beheaded Pang De, and captured Yu Jin, his power shaking the world."

"And there is Bai Qi, the Marquis of Wu'an of Qin, who besieged the Zhao army with equal forces during the Battle of Changping. No one can surpass his skill in this regard."

Liu Shan said, "Alright, let's put aside military strategy and tactics for now. Why are they able to command large armies in battle?"

Guan Xing tilted his head, trying hard to think.

"prestige?"

"Martial arts?"

Liu Shan shook his head at both of the two consecutive answers.

"It was through perseverance and combat experience that he climbed up step by step from the bottom."

"Your father was originally a horse archer, and then a separate commander, leading his troops."

"Then came the Lieutenant General, the Marquis of Hanshou, the General of the Vanguard..."

"Every promotion your father received was earned through battle."

"Not to mention Lord Wu'an Bai Qi, the military merit system of Qin was very strict. He rose from a soldier to become a Grand General, and he knew all the positions in the army very well."

"It is precisely because they have risen from the bottom that they have a deep understanding of the military and are familiar with how the various branches of the armed forces fight and cooperate. Therefore, they are able to deploy troops and command operations with ease."

Guan Xing was quite dissatisfied after hearing this.

He knew that Liu Shan was referring to the fact that these "second-generation officials" enjoyed smooth careers thanks to the protection of their fathers.

"Your Majesty, I cannot agree. Han Xin became a general after joining Emperor Gaozu, and he never served as a common soldier. Yet he was still able to command a large army in battle."

A genius like Han Xin only appears once every few thousand years. Can you compare to him?

Liu Shan's eyes darted around, and he said, "Since you're not convinced, then I'll test you, shall I?"

Guan Xing patted his chest and said, "I am willing to give it a try."

"Actually, it's not that difficult. Relaying military orders is the simplest and most basic task in the army. If you can remember them accurately, it proves that you have the ability to lead troops, comparable to Han Xin."

"If any of you are interested, you can give it a try."

Zhang Bao and the others were quite interested and quickly nodded, saying, "Your subject is also willing to give it a try."

Liu Shan said, "Alright, then I will give you the question."

"Someone, bring me a map and writing materials."

A moment later, Wang Gui had finished preparing the items.

"To make it easier for you to understand, I will explain the basic situation of this battle, and then clearly mark the details of the troops, passes and cities on both sides of the battlefield."

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the preparations were complete.

"Have you memorized everything?" Liu Shan asked.

"Got it!"

"Very well, now that the enemy has reinforced Huludao, the pressure on the Tashan defense line has suddenly increased. I have made the following adjustments to the deployment; please take note!"

"The 4th and 11th Columns, plus two independent divisions, will reinforce the Tashan defense line; the 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 8th, and 9th Columns, plus the 6th Column and 17th Division, will be used to attack Jinzhou; the 10th Column, plus one division, will block Liao's advance along the Heishan and Dahushan lines..."

"Guan Xing, repeat it to me!"