Bright Sword: I don’t want to be the king!

Cao Geng said this not to encourage the members of the Qianlong Brigade to disobey orders on the battlefield and undermine his overall control of the entire battle situation. What he wanted to convey was that on the battlefield, facing the ever-changing situation, the special forces can take a variety of actions to complete the mission without affecting his control over the entire battlefield.

In other words, when Cao Geng gave orders, he would only set one goal. For example, Li Yunlong's mission in Cangyunling was to break out of the encirclement of the Bantian Regiment from the direction of Yujialing. But if Cao Geng gave the order, he would only tell Li Yunlong to break out, regardless of whether he broke out from the front or Yujialing.

Therefore, if Cao Geng was Li Yunlong's superior, Li Yunlong would not be punished. On the contrary, if the Sakata regiment was defeated head-on, Cao Geng would reward Li Yunlong.

However, Cao Geng did not say that there was a problem with the general's command. He just said that although both were commanders-in-chief, Cao Geng and the general had completely different styles. Cao Geng appreciated He Ning's keen insight, flexibility and decisive character on the battlefield. Such generals can often lead troops to victory.

Just like his new regiment leader Li Yunlong. Although He Ning still has a lot to grow in, as long as this kid grows up in the future, Cao Geng believes that he is likely to become the next Li Yunlong.

However, despite Cao Geng’s different overall command style from the boss, as a leader…

Cao Geng and the general had exactly the same idea. They were both dissatisfied with the behavior of their subordinates who disobeyed orders. After all, in Cao Geng's view, encouraging subordinates to take initiative within a limited scope is different from generals leading troops to disobey orders. You know, for leaders, it is a big problem if subordinates have too many ideas of their own. Just look at the attitude of the Eighth Route Army's general towards Li Yunlong, which is a feeling of love and hate. However, there is a difference between Cao Geng and the Eighth Route Army's general.

The Eighth Route Army's boss might reuse a general like Li Yunlong after he got into trouble. But for Cao Geng, disobeying orders on the battlefield is like betrayal. It is enough for a soldier to disobey orders once. This is enough for Cao Geng to no longer trust such a general. If he has other generals available, then Cao Geng will never use such a subordinate with a strong opinion again in his life. After all, if everyone in the army can express their opinions, does it still look like an army? Like a vegetable market?

How could the army tolerate such a maverick? If everyone is so independent, how can the army maintain its cohesion and combat effectiveness? Wouldn't it be a mess? Hearing Cao Geng's words, the members of the Qianlong Brigade felt a chill.

He Ning was even more unconvinced: "Captain, I know you don't like to disobey orders, but what if I disobey orders on the battlefield to gain greater benefits for the entire war situation?" Although He Ning is capable, he is still young after all, and he actually asked such a stupid question. Cao Geng said calmly: "I am not a stubborn person. In my third battalion, if your decision-making is mature enough, then your prestige and achievements in the battalion must be enough for you to participate in all strategic decisions headed by me."

"If you can really reach this level in the future, I will consider it if you discuss your strategies and tactics with me then." "But if your goal is just to become the captain of the Qianlong Battalion, I'm sorry, you are of low status and your words are powerless. My Third Battalion does not welcome soldiers who disobey orders." Cao Geng's words were direct and clear.

In other words, if He Ning was only the captain of the Qianlong Battalion, but he disobeyed orders on the battlefield and disrupted Cao Geng's tactical layout, Cao Geng felt that it would be meaningless for such a person to stay in the Third Battalion. Since you think your military judgment is so strong, why not go it alone? The emergence of two voices in the battle is irresponsible for the lives of all soldiers. Who should the Third Battalion listen to?

If He Ning's decision was indeed mature, Cao Geng would not stick to the old ways and would naturally promote him to participate in the strategic decision-making meeting of the Third Battalion. After all, in this era, the Eighth Route Army lacked generals, especially generals with general talents. He Ning was the potential general that Cao Geng valued.

If He Ning really grows to that level, Cao Geng will certainly seriously consider his proposal. After listening to this, He Ning also understood what Cao Geng meant and began to think deeply. He realized that the battalion commander was not against generals with ideas, but he didn't like generals of low status but self-righteous. If he could participate in the strategic decision-making of the three battalions in every battle, then his suggestions would naturally be valued by the battalion commander. But if he can't reach that level, sorry, his words still have no weight. However, He Ning still has a question in his mind. Since the battalion commander obviously doesn't like him to disobey orders, why did the battalion commander immediately promote him to the captain of the Qianlong Battalion after he made those words just now?

He Ning was confused. Cao Geng explained, "I see different potentials in you for the Qianlong Brigade. Don't let me down." In this era, there is no problem of lack of talent in the Eighth Route Army. Because the Eighth Route Army is short of people, and there are only a handful of capable generals. If He Ning can really stand out, even if he has only two-thirds of Li Yunlong's ability, Cao Geng's special forces will be famous in northwest Shanxi. It has to be admitted that Cao Geng's emphasis on talents is unmatched by ordinary people.

"Captain, I understand." He Ning thought for a moment and replied in a deep voice. He already knew Cao Geng's bottom line. Since the battalion commander valued him so much, he must repay Cao Geng with practical actions.

Of course, while Cao Geng was constantly training the Qianlong Battalion of the Third Battalion, the news that Yamamoto Ikki's special forces attacked Yangcun caused an uproar throughout the Eighth Route Army in Northwest Shanxi. Soon, this incident even shocked the boss of Daxiawan.