Chao Lian also said, "The important matter comes first. We can catch up later. You're a capable man who can hold his own now, so why can't you control your emotions? Aren't you afraid the men under you will laugh at you?"
The commander wiped away his snot and tears with the back of his hand.
Then he broke into a laugh through his tears. "Laugh at me? Which little bastard dares laugh at me? Whoever does, I'll break his paw and teach him a lesson."
Instead of agreeing, Chao Lian frowned and advised, "Don't go around threatening to break people's paws. Leading troops into battle isn't something you can do with brute force alone. It's true that military officers have always won people over through military accomplishments, and soldiers follow their generals for the chance to earn merit. But if you don't treat your soldiers like people and are always threatening them, they may be afraid of you to your face, but they won't respect you in their hearts. They might even trip you up."
The commander smiled and accepted the advice without any displeasure.
Though Chao Lian was several years younger than him, the world of military officers didn't measure seniority by age. Back when Duke Ziyi was still around, Chao Lian had saved his life twice. If not for Chao Lian, the grass on his grave would have been replaced who knew how many times. Chao Lian was only reminding him out of goodwill, so he readily accepted it. "I wouldn't really break anyone's paws. Ahem, ahem. It was just something I said."
Chao Lian said, "That makes it even worse."
It was easy to lose his authority.
Whether one was overly vicious and cruel or got too chummy with the soldiers, either extreme was a mistake.