As the war continues, water has become a scarce resource. In that era of inconvenient transportation, how to transport enough fresh water for the army was really a big problem. The grain and grass can still be transported, and the water molecules are light and ethereal, and the bumps and losses along the way are exhausted. Even if a small amount arrives, it will eventually spoil and become undrinkable. In the face of many difficulties, how did the predecessors of the Ming army solve the urgent need? With their extraordinary wisdom, they fought in an environment of water shortage, and finally drank a sip of nectar, what is the secret of survival?
1. Explore Mongolia and camp in places with abundant water and grass along the way
The Ming army fought against the Mongolia nomadic tribes and fought in the northern frontier of the motherland all year round. There are endless mountains, vast grasslands, and countless grassless Gobi deserts. How can an army of tens of thousands or millions satisfy the thirst of every soldier? Long-distance transportation of fresh water is certainly the best policy, but the loss will undoubtedly be huge when it is bumpy along the way. Even if a small amount arrives, it will inevitably spoil and become undrinkable.
After several battles with the Mongolian nomads, the generals of the Ming army gradually summed up an experience: as long as they slowly move along the land of abundant water and grass, they can temporarily camp to quench their thirst, and second, if they encounter enemy footprints, it is a shortcut to follow the vine and find melons.
At that time, Zhu Yuanzhang, the Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, personally waved his army on an expedition and knew the importance of water resources to the military spirit and military discipline. Whenever you pass by a fertile grassland spring, you will leave a royal pen and give a name to commemorate. In some cases, large armies were ordered to be stationed for months, so that all the people could be fully supplied. It wasn't until there was not much grass and trees left and the spring was about to run out that Taizu sounded the horn of battle and continued north.
Such a gradual approach is indeed the best way to deal with the nomadic and warlike Mongolia. However, the grassland is dry and hot in summer, and the cold snap is cold in winter, so it is inevitable to encounter water and grass embarrassment. At that time, Ming Taizu traveled to Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Guizhou, and experienced the situation of no water and grass. In this regard, the imperial pen decree has clouds: "Whenever you encounter barren mountains and wild paths, you should pay more attention, do not ignore them a little, and be earnest." lest they fall into trouble invisibly. It can be seen that even when the grass and trees are exhausted, it is necessary to pay close attention to the plants and trees around us, so as not to completely lose the water source.
Second, God helped the Ming army to overcome the difficulties
Even a battle-hardened iron army like the Ming Army will inevitably encounter all kinds of difficulties in the desert Gobi land. Sometimes the continuous blizzard can be a surprise to quench your thirst.
When Ming Taizu personally conquered Yunnan and passed through the Ali Plateau, it was a blizzard. The army could not attack the defenders of Yunnan for a long time, the soldiers were sleepy and the horses were lacking, and the water and grass were exhausted. The huge barracks were full of thirsty neighing horses and dry-mouthed soldiers. At this moment, a sudden blizzard saved the lives of the Ming army. When the snow fell all over the sky, the Ming army immediately used pots and pots to catch tens of thousands of loads of snow water. Fortunately, the blizzard lasted for several days, and the Ming army stored tens of thousands of loads of snow water one after another, and finally survived the urgent need.
However, the army will eventually start one day, and in order to solve the shortage of water resources, it is difficult to rely on the inexhaustible rain and snow. In the barren desert, every morning when you wake up, you can see hoarfrost and dew all over the ground. The Ming army ordered the pawns to brush the grass with long robes and robes, and soon they were soaked. When the sun rises and the hoarfrost turns into droplets, everyone only needs to twist their robes and drink a sip of cool dew to temporarily quench their thirst.
What's more, they can also rely on war horses to find underground springs. That year, the Ming army went on an expedition to Kashgar, but was lost for several days on the way, and people and animals were trapped without water. Just when everyone was downcast, they suddenly saw an old war horse spinning wildly in the desert. Following the horseshoe prints, I saw a trace of water stains oozing out of the low-lying places around me. When everyone intensified their search, they discovered that there was a spring burying out of the ground. The entire army survived the last breath of air.
3. Give full play to the extraordinary wisdom of the Ming army
Even in a desperate situation, the Ming military is not unscrupulous and heroic. From ancient times to the present, there have been many wise men who are good at finding water, among which there are many commanders of the Ming army.
One year, the Ming army went on an expedition to the northwest, and encountered an oasis on the way, and there was no trace of water in all directions. Many of the young soldiers proposed to set off immediately, so as not to be attacked by the enemy for a long time. The experienced Ming Taizu did not think so, but ordered the whole army to camp on the spot and wait for the opportunity. In the middle of the night, a horse suddenly neighed loudly, and a clear spring gushed out of the ground. It turned out that the underground water veins here did not circulate smoothly and were buried underground for no reason. If it weren't for Taizu's knowledge of the old horse, I'm afraid that all the soldiers would die of thirst.
In addition to using the sense of smell of animals, the wise men of the Ming army also carefully observed all things in nature and identified the location of water sources. Mu Mu is a pathfinder who once found a place with an ant mound. Ordinary people may turn a blind eye, but Mu Mu remembers that there is a cloud: "Ants know the difference between water, and there must be an underground flow under the mound." Sure enough, subsequent exploration revealed a spring.
And the military households who have been trained for many years have their own set of unique secrets for exploring the way of water sources. They will keep an eye out for flora and fauna on the ground, surveying the verdant grass and possibly hiding a stream of groundwater. If you see a depression where birds and beasts gather, there may also be springs gushing out. What's more, you can also find the source of water according to the guidance of reeds and grass. In this way, the Ming army no longer had to struggle with the lack of water.
Eventually, the Ming army built detailed maps in a number of battles, marking every water source in every place they went. As long as a group of soldiers uses this as a staff officer, they can continue to supply fresh water even if the campaign lasts for months. When it comes to entering the enemy's belly and smashing the Yellow Dragon, water is no longer a worry for the army.
Fourth, contain the Mongolia army at any cost
Even a battle-hardened force like the Ming army will inevitably encounter many difficulties when fighting in the northwest frontier. In order to get rid of the shackles of water resources as soon as possible, they went deep into the hinterland at any cost and cut off the water supply lines of the Mongolian army.
When Ming Taizu went on an expedition to Shaanxi and Gansu, he passed through the Qilian Mountains, which coincided with the scorching summer heat. At the cost of tens of thousands of horses, the army penetrated deep into the hinterland and smashed the Yellow Dragon, cutting off the fresh water supply line of the Mongolian army. All of a sudden, the Mongolian army ran out of food and grass, and the heat was unbearable, so they had to ask the Ming army for peace.
In another battle, the Ming army waited for an opportunity to cut off the enemy's underground water source. That year, Taizu led a large army on an expedition to Ili, and there was only one spring along the way for people and animals to drink. The Mongolian army found this place extremely strong, and stationed heavy troops to protect it, cutting off the water source of the Ming army. Seeing this, Taizu was furious and immediately ordered the vanguard to continue to advance and cut off the upstream of the water source; The follow-up troops tightly surrounded the spring and trapped the Mongolia defenders. In this way, the two sides went back and forth for several months, until the Mongolian army was extremely thirsty and unable to surrender, and the Ming army put down the butcher's knife and allowed him to live.
In one battle, the Ming army simply drove the Mongolian army to the end before it could obtain sufficient water resources. That year, Taizu led an expedition to Hotan, and encountered a Mongolia nomadic army from northern Xinjiang on the way. At that time, there was a huge disparity in firepower between the two sides, and the Ming army suddenly fell into a desperate situation. Just when he was in urgent need, a famous general suddenly remembered that the Hotan Basin was the only fresh water supply place in the local area. If Hotan is captured, the Mongolia army is doomed to no grain and grass, and will fall into a desperate situation. So the Ming army fought bravely to fight a bloody road, and finally broke into Hotan and captured all the water sources. A few months later, the Mongolian army was exhausted and had to defect to the Ming army.
Fifth, the suspense needs to be continued, and the wisdom of the ancients is worth exploring
However, the way to quench the thirst of the Ming army was far from so simple. In this vast frontier land, Mongolia nomads also have unique secrets to quench their thirst for disaster relief.
Some scholars have verified that Mongolia have lived in arid areas for generations and have long been familiar with the art of digging wells in the desert. They often dig in the dry riverbed first, and if they get a rich spring, they can stay there for a long time. If the mountain spring is already dry, they are not discouraged, and they choose the damp depression, and can often dig out several feet of underground fresh water. What's more, with the help of ancestral mysterious feng shui, he found the place where the trickle of water is underground.
In addition to manpower to dig wells, Mongolia are also good at taking advantage of the right time and place to solve urgent needs. They especially like to drink the snow in the winter and store it in the cellars as a summer supply. In the event of a rainy season, they will also use animal skins or tree bark to catch the rainwater for drinking. There are also some extremely rare natural water sources, such as glacial meltwater, oasis springs, and canyon rock springs, all of which are used by Mongolia.
In the face of such a cruel natural environment, the ancients tried every means to survive, and their wisdom can be described as perfect. Although the Ming army has repeatedly performed miraculous achievements in water security, it is not omnipotent. Whenever the soldiers were tired and tired, they could only rest and rely on the help of heaven to tide over the difficulties. Can the many hardships of the past provide some novel ideas for the modern army to find water? How did the ancients dig out the source of wisdom in a desperate situation, and how did they create the opportunity to survive? All this is waiting for us to ponder and explore.