Chapter 83

Because of his promise to Zhen Ding, and due to Lin Bei's own perverse interest, in the following days, Lin Bei devoted himself to researching how to capture elephants, and even had Bian Fuzi look up some information.

In ancient times, due to the lack of firearms, military strategists placed great emphasis on using special animals to defeat enemies, and war elephants were formed under such circumstances.

As is well known, elephants are very large and heavy, the largest animals on land. Despite their size, they are not clumsy in their movements. Additionally, elephants are very intelligent, and the ancients believed that elephants were highly spiritual and could understand human intentions with a little training.

Compared to horses, military strategists have always believed that elephants are far superior to horses. They are stronger, larger, and have tougher skin. Their endurance is also far greater, with the only drawback being their speed, although elephants are not actually slow, running at about three times the speed of an average person.

With so many advantages, one would think that elephant soldiers would be widely used, but unfortunately, the number of elephants limited the scale of elephant soldiers. In ancient times, there were indeed more elephant herds than today, but most of them were concentrated in the southern regions of modern times, in the dense forests of Southeast Asia, far from the Central Plains. This made capturing elephants extremely difficult, which was the most important reason.

The greatest role of war elephants was to charge into enemy formations, using their strength and size to break through enemy lines. Therefore, if the number of elephant soldiers was too small, their effectiveness would certainly be less than that of cavalry.

"Sir, if there were a thousand war elephants, they would be invincible," Bian Fuzi said.

Lin Bei nodded in agreement. The city walls of this era were actually not very high. Except for some strategic fortresses like Hulao Pass, the walls of small counties and towns were generally only about three zhang (about 7 meters, with one zhang being approximately 2.4 meters in the Three Kingdoms period).

This height was sufficient for cavalry, but it was far from enough for elephant soldiers. As long as someone rode on the elephant's back and used weapons, they could easily knock people off the city walls. For example, someone like Lü Bu, as long as they could attack people, they could be considered invincible in their time, and breaking a city alone would not be a myth.

Another important point is that, as is well known, cavalry in the Three Kingdoms period did not have saddles or stirrups. To move freely on horseback, cavalry needed to be skilled in horse riding, which required constant training. In contrast, the back of an elephant is wide and flat, reducing the technical requirements to the minimum. Even in modern times, many people who cannot ride horses can sit on an elephant's back as steady as a rock. This is also an advantage of elephant soldiers, allowing riders to become proficient quickly.

The more Lin Bei and Bian Fuzi studied, the more they felt that elephant soldiers were truly a unique and powerful military unit, arguably the most powerful in the age of cold weapons. Of course, the weaknesses of elephant soldiers were also obvious.

To put it this way, elephant soldiers are like modern tanks. Their advantages are strong carrying capacity and impact force, but their weakness is their poor resistance to interference, such as fire attacks, smoke, and even noise. However, these weaknesses also apply to cavalry, as horses are also afraid of these things.

"Such a good military unit," Lin Bei murmured, recalling the historical records of elephant soldiers in his mind. When did elephant soldiers disappear? It seems to be during the Ming Dynasty, when firearms were invented. Even with their thick skin, elephants could not withstand firearms, and the high cost of maintaining elephant soldiers led to their gradual elimination. But now it is the Three Kingdoms period, and elephant soldiers will surely shine. It must be said that Xu You, though highly criticized in history, is not without talent.

"Asian elephants are on the brink of extinction in modern times, but if elephants are integrated into people's lives, like horses, cattle, and sheep, humans will naturally protect them. Even if there is some slaughter, the number of surviving elephants will definitely be greater than those that die."

Lin Bei had thought about protecting these Asian elephants, but with his personal efforts alone, he could do very little. Only when humans realize the importance of elephants will they protect them. Elephants can be used for farming, replacing oxen, and can also replace horses for transportation. When elephants become familiar domestic animals, they will not face the fate of the future. So, should it start from Xishan Township?

"Fuzi, Cui Lan said that Xishan Township only has twelve oxen for farming, five of which belong to the government. What do you think if I capture a few elephants for the villagers to train and use as oxen?"

Bian Fuzi already knew Zhen Ding's request because Lin Bei had told him, so he was not surprised. He carefully considered Lin Bei's proposal and finally expressed his concern: "Sir, this is a good thing, but the long-nosed beasts eat a lot. I'm afraid the hunters can't afford to feed them."

Bian Fuzi naturally knew the benefits of raising elephants. Even without war, they could be used to carry people or move heavy objects, which would be excellent. However, elephants eat a lot, and Bian Ji was worried that the hunters could not afford to feed them, especially since people were already struggling to feed themselves.

Lin Bei explained, "Although elephants eat a lot, their main food is grass, both dry and fresh. In your village, are there people who specifically raise cattle?"

Bian Ji nodded, "The government has cattle herders who manage this daily, and ordinary families usually have their children take the cattle out to graze."

"That's it. Cattle also eat a lot, but they mainly eat wild grass outside. Elephants are the same. When you let the cattle graze, you can let the elephants graze as well, choosing a place with abundant wild grass."

"If that's true, then they can be raised." Since Lin Bei said this, Bian Fuzi had no reason to oppose it. If elephants could be raised through this method, it would not only be a burden for the villagers of Xishan Township but also a benefit.

"Additionally," Lin Bei pondered for a moment, "tell the villagers that they only have the right to use these long-nosed beasts, not the right to dispose of them."

After Lin Bei's explanation, Bian Fuzi understood the difference between the right to use and the right to dispose. It means that the villagers can use the elephants like domestic animals, for farming or carrying goods, just like oxen, but they cannot kill the elephants at will.

"Sir, you don't need to worry. Although many villagers are illiterate, they understand this principle." Bian Ji reassured Lin Bei. Farmers, though many are illiterate, cherish their domestic animals because they are a source of labor, and this is a principle everyone understands.

There are definitely other matters to consider, but Lin Bei couldn't think of them at the moment. So, he decided to handle this matter first and add more details later. Now, Lin Bei could go to capture the elephant herd, and of course, this would require the help of the hunters.

PS: Dear reader Yan Bing Huo Feng, I really can't manage the 12,000 update votes you cast, but I still thank you.

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