Of course, to put it back into context, this really isn't the Navy's problem; such an unspoken "rule" is nothing new.
The "Old Han" mentioned by Zhai Peng is the local magistrate.
Since ancient times, it has been customary for local regions to provide provisions when a large army passes through.
If you don't proactively offer your "gesture," are you going to wait for those soldiers to lose their patience and take action themselves?
How to allocate the "gesture" that locals present to the soldiers under your command, when to distribute, and how much—these are also forms of knowledge.
The official "military manuals" never cover this part, which is why there's heritage in the "generals' lineage" and idioms about "theories without action."
From this perspective, the old general's approach is entirely understandable.
