Chapter Eleven

  The sunset's afterglow illuminated the shooting range, with a golden yellow hue in the distance. The warriors' bodies cast long shadows under the sunlight. A burst of loud laughter came from the shooting area. Zeng Qing's voice was particularly loud and clear at this moment, and it also echoed to the far end of the shooting range: "Lei Laohu, I finally hit the target today, look at the 10th ring! Hahaha!"

  Lei Feng furrowed his brow, then relaxed it and sneered: "You who used to fish, don't be too happy yet. Take a look, take a good look at this, I'm telling you to see clearly, this isn't your target. This is my target, your bullets hit my target, you even shot the wrong person! Hmph, do you still have the face to say you hit it? Go back home and go fishing!"

  Zeng Qing snorted, then said with a mischievous grin: "I don't care if I hit the right one or not, this 10-ring is mine. There can't be just one enemy up ahead, let me tell you, Lei Laohu, on the battlefield, this guy would be done for."

  I and Zhou Lun had just walked over when we heard this interesting scene, looking at each other. Zhou Lun glanced at me with a smirk, pointing at their appearance. I watched these two treasures fooling around here. I put on a serious face, walked up to them and said: "You two are the main officers of the regiment, still arguing? You've consumed nearly 100,000 rounds of the 1.6 million bullets issued. What will you do when you run out of ammo? At that time, humph, I think your advanced weapons will only become worse than firewood."

  Zeng Qing and Lei Ting saw me lose my temper so badly that they didn't dare to make a sound, and followed behind me silently as we walked towards the shooting range.

  I took a look at them and said: "Gather all the military commanders above the rank for me. I want to review their training results."

  I looked at these high-ranking military officers, their darkened bodies said: "Just now, I checked the shooting training situation of the soldiers over there, it's not very ideal, comrades. These things are all your first contact with firearms. I require you to master them proficiently in a short period of time, which is also a difficult task. Let's do this. All officers here will take turns to shoot once. Let me see what level you're at."

  As the last round of gunfire faded away, the results of the final group of company-level officers' shooting competition were also released. I couldn't help but frown as I held their scores in my hand. The data was really not flattering. Zeng Qing scored 30 rings, Yi Tianhang scored 37 rings, Li Keming scored 25 rings, and Wang Hu scored 62 rings. Except for Wu Shuang and Lei Ting, the best shooter here was a squad leader named Jiang Zuo.

  I raised my head and said to the standing military officers: "Who is Jiang Zuo? Please step forward."

  A small dark figure stepped out and said: "Reporting to the leader, I am Jiang Zuo."

  I nodded to let him stand aside first, then turned to the officers below and raised the data in my hand: "Take a look, this is your achievement over the past few days. You are all officers, you are the model for the soldiers. But your level may not even be comparable to that of the soldiers, and you have to learn not only rifles but also pistols and submachine guns." After finishing, I said in a low voice: "Next, you will study the structure and characteristics of firearms with Lei Ting and Wu Shuang by yourselves. Dismissed!"

  As I watched them leave, I asked Jiang Zuo beside me: "What did you used to do?"

  The young man replied shyly: "I used to be a hunter in the mountains. Later, I heard that joining the army here could drive away the Qing dynasty's dogs, so I came. My father was killed by them."

  The young man's eyes had lost all shyness by then, and only anger was visible.

  I patted him on the shoulder to comfort him, hinting that he should calm down his emotions. Then I said: "Comrade Jiang Zuo, rest assured that our Liberation Army will drive them away. Your personal vendetta is also a common vendetta for all of us, and we will all avenge you."

  Jiang Zuo was so moved that he almost knelt down, and with a sobbing voice said: "Commander, from now on this head of mine belongs to you. I can give it to you anytime you want."

  I smiled and said, "Foolishness, what do I need your brains for? I don't have that power yet. As long as you can drive the Manchu people out of the pass for the sake of the Ming Dynasty's people, it will be considered repayment to me. Remember not to speak like this again in the future."

  Jiang Zuo simply nodded silently.

  I calmed down my emotions and looked at him, saying: "Do you know how many warriors from a hunting background like yours are still in our army?"

  Jiang Zuo rubbed his head and said, "I know that there are more than 20 in our group. As for the others, I'm not very clear."

  I nodded and said, "You go down and learn about the structure of firearms with Lei Feng. Although you scored 92 rings, you can still go and learn more to strive for being a divine marksman."

  Jiang Zuo responded with a "yes" and walked away. I called out to Jiang Zuo, "Later, have all the officers come to the division headquarters conference room for a meeting."

  After the arrival of our troops' weapons, I moved out of the county government office according to Zhou Lun's suggestion. Considering a problem that affects everyone, we all live in the military camp, and the county government office has been converted into a new school. The first batch of 200 students at the Liberation Army Military Command College are taking classes there, and through our hard work, many xiucai and scholars who have accepted new ideas have also agreed to come out and teach children new knowledge. Mentioning this, it is inevitable to mention Xu Guangqi, a high-ranking official of the Ming Dynasty.

  In the 28th year of Wanli (1600 AD), Xu Guangqi met Matteo Ricci, an Italian Jesuit missionary in Nanjing. The scientific products brought by Ricci, such as the prism, self-sounding bell, and sundial, deeply attracted Xu Guangqi, who was already interested in science. After a year of socializing, Xu Guangqi was deeply influenced by Ricci and converted to Catholicism, becoming one of the first Chinese Catholics. He studied astronomy, mathematics, calendar studies, water conservancy, and geography with Ricci, all of which were closely related to the country's governance and people's livelihood.

  Xu Guangqi not only learned from Ricci but also hoped to introduce Western science to China, making it bloom throughout the country. To achieve this goal, he asked Ricci to translate Western books. He decided to start with basic subjects and first translated Euclid's "Elements". Following "Elements", Xu Guangqi translated "The Method of Measurement" and co-translated "Taisei Water Law" and "Tongwen Suanzhi" with Li Zhi and Xiong Yuanbao.

  In his compiled book "Da Ce", he introduced concepts such as plane trigonometry and spherical trigonometry to the Chinese people for the first time. When I proposed these ideas in Yuezhou, I didn't expect to meet a student of Xu Guangqi's, who strongly recommended our teachers. We quickly set up new schools offering courses in painting, geometry, arithmetic, geography, and astronomy, all funded by the government.

  This gained us support from many poor people. The entire Yuezhou flourished under our new policies, especially with the new business policy attracting more merchants to gather here, transporting goods from all over the country. This is also an important reason why we don't want to give up Yuezhou.

  In the morning of that time, firearms were already very common at that time, but this was limited to the military and ordinary people still could not touch. It was also Xu Guangqi who proposed buying new-style firearms from the Portuguese government in Macau at that time, but it did not succeed due to Wei Zhongxian's intervention.

  In the conference room of the instructor department, everyone looked gloomy and couldn't deny that the shooting training effect in recent days was not very good. This made the atmosphere of everyone not very lively.

  "I said with a smile: 'Comrades, today's meeting is not to see your sour faces. Everyone must boost their morale! If you've lost confidence, what's the point of fighting and driving out the Qing army? After studying the structure of firearms all day, do you have any special insights?"

  Looking at everyone's silent faces, I smiled and stood up: "Now I'll announce a few things first, then we can all sit down and discuss how to train. Methods are thought of by people, people are alive, can this small gun really be difficult for us? And don't worry, you won't be blamed."

  The atmosphere in the venue also began to liven up with my words, and there were some small discussions below, all of which were about discussing the use of guns.

  I cleared my throat and said, "Now, I'd like to announce the first decision. The division has decided to establish a new sniper team, and Comrade Jiang Zuo will be appointed as its captain. Comrade Jiang Zuo will be promoted from lieutenant platoon leader to captain. He will select 200 soldiers with hunting experience from all units within the division. These soldiers will be managed and trained uniformly by the division's sniper team during peacetime, and in wartime, they will be assigned to each company for special sniper missions. The term 'sniper' means to stop or kill, as implied by its name. As Sun Tzu's Art of War says, 'Shoot the man before shooting the horse, capture the king before capturing the bandit.' This way, without their commander, the enemy will be in disarray. The sniper team's mission is precisely this: during wartime, they must take out the enemy's commanders first. This is also the purpose of establishing a sniper team within our division.

  The second decision concerns Yueyang City. From its current state, we cannot afford to give up on it. The development of commerce, agriculture, and industry in Yueyang has already shown initial results, and tax revenue is increasing daily. Therefore, we must try not to abandon Yueyang unless absolutely necessary, and avoid any losses there at all costs."

  Let's discuss how to implement the next training plan and then discuss whether to give up on the Yuezhou thing.

  Lei Feng first stood up and saluted everyone, saying: "Commander, I think most of the soldiers are in contact with new firearms for the first time. The grasp of recoil is not accurate, which is an important issue." I think we should start training from how to grasp the recoil of the soldiers.

  Zeng Qing also stood up and said: "I think what needs to be added is that in aiming at the target, the soldiers are not very good at looking at the sight. Many comrades reflected that they don't know what it's all about. So I think this is also a place that needs training."

  The meeting ended with the active speeches of the officers. Several months of ideological education have made these officers, who only knew how to follow orders, now also actively express their own views. The democratic system has further deepened in their minds.

  I looked at them with satisfaction, then glanced at Zhou Lun and said: "Today's meeting will end here. Let's not use bullets for tomorrow's shooting training. Tomorrow, let's first practice the posture of holding a gun and mastering the recoil problem. Dismissed."

  Waiting for them to leave one by one, I looked at Aron sitting in the chair rubbing his eyes. I looked at him and smiled: "Aron, it seems you have some new ideas now. What's on your mind? Don't keep secrets."

  Aaron put down his hand, sat up straight and smiled at me: "I think it's not enough to just work on these two aspects. I think we should collectively sort out the knowledge of guns that Lei Feng taught us. Let's take a gun apart and show everyone how it works, then reassemble it piece by piece. This way, everyone will have a deeper understanding, and then add these methods."

  I thought for a moment and nodded, "En, I think your method is feasible. Oh, by the way, there's been something I've wanted to ask you. Do you remember our conversation about Shifu Hospital yesterday? How's the mobile hospital in Shifu doing now?"

  Aaron chuckled and shook his head, "You're just focusing on the training, but the field hospital was already set up two days ago. It's just that there aren't any Western medical personnel here, only traditional Chinese medicine doctors. In terms of treating war injuries, Western medicine is still more effective than traditional Chinese medicine. Also, the nurses who have been assigned to the hospital need a short period of training before they can officially start working on the battlefield and providing rescue services."

  I heard the news and waved my hand with joy: "Don't worry, don't worry, our Chinese medical skills are still good for thousands of years. As long as we send some people to study Western medicine abroad in the future, it will be fine. I think studying Western medicine is not as good as asking Dr. Han Zhi to open a few medical classes, his medical skills are not inferior to those of foreign countries now. But I think our treatment in the future should still be based on traditional Chinese medicine, only with support can there be development."

  Aaron nodded in agreement and continued: "Yes, we must support our country's traditional medicine. But now I want to talk to you about the economy of Yuezhou. The current construction has already taken shape, but it seems that relying on us military personnel to manage it is a bit beyond our capabilities. I think it would be better to elect a reputable and popular person in Yuezhou City to serve as the governor of this small official position."

  I nodded and said, "Yes, we are not management graduates. It's a pity that those who studied this subject are not here. I think it's better to have someone from the local area elected to manage things. But be careful not to let those stubborn and poor people take advantage of the situation. If they were in charge, I'm afraid Yuezhou would return to its old state. Why don't we just hold a democratic election? Let's promote democracy here first. Besides, there are some other matters I'd like to discuss with you."

  Aaron looked at me with a smile and said: "I know what it is."

  I looked at Aron with a questioning gaze, and Aron continued: "Are you thinking of discussing the matter of setting up an arms factory here with me?"

  I nodded and said: "How did you know I wanted to talk to you about these things."

  "From the start of our training with live ammunition, I knew it. In just three days, we've already used up 100,000 rounds and that's not even intense fighting. If we were to engage in a fierce battle, I reckon our ammo would be depleted within six days. Plus, their shooting isn't very accurate either. If we continue to resupply from the main base, it's unrealistic. Firstly, the distance of the route poses a danger to our transportation. Secondly, the speed of transportation is too slow and can't keep up with our needs. By the time supplies arrive, I'm afraid we'll have already sacrificed ourselves. Thirdly, if we were to occupy resources and transport them back to the main base for production, that would delay things even further. So, I've known about this problem all along."

  I nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, this is also a new problem I've discovered over the past few days. Why don't we use our connections with the many merchants in Yuezhou City to have them act as intermediaries for us to purchase these raw materials? We can then set up a temporary munitions factory in Yuezhou to produce our ammunition and supplies."

  Aaron also sighed and said, "I think that's all we can do for now. After all, Yuezhou doesn't have any mineral resources, so it's not suitable to set up heavy industry here. Also, our military uniforms should be unified now. Our soldiers are either carrying weapons or ordinary people can't tell they're soldiers."

  I also nodded in deep agreement: "You see, I've already forgotten about this matter. Just make the uniform similar to the current People's Liberation Army and that's it. We're too lazy to think about it anymore, after all, it's been scientifically proven. Let's just prepare three types: four sets of combat uniforms and one set of ceremonial uniforms per person. As for the military emblem, I think we should do something similar to the election of county heads - let's have a national solicitation of opinions within the army. As for military ranks, I don't think that can be decided by public opinion, let's just follow the traditional division of ranks."

  "Hey, it seems you want to implement democracy here first. Alright, I'll immediately get Huang De to send someone to take care of this."

  After several days of live-fire training and familiarization with the performance of firearms, the shooting scores of all soldiers in the division have also improved. The average ring count is now above 70, and that of officers is above 85. As for the 200 sniper team members selected by Jiang Zuo, their scores are even higher, above 95 rings.

  I took a look at the score sheet in my hand, nodded satisfactorily and said: "Comrades, I am very pleased with such results. I hope everyone will continue to work hard and strive to become a master shooter. Also, today all cadres above the regiment level and all comrades of the instructional brigade will go to the General Logistics Department to receive new-style military uniforms."

  Looking at the whole army wearing neat uniforms, the appearance of the troops has been completely renewed. From the side, the neat military posture, lined up in a straight line. Three neat squares. Under the neat dress, a sense of majesty has been formed imperceptibly.

  Zhou Lun stepped onto a platform, saluted the crowd below and said: "Comrades. Today, everyone's true appearance makes me feel very pleased. This is the army I want, this is our powerful and majestic force." As he spoke, Zhou Lun raised one hand and shouted in a thunderous voice: "Those who offend the great Han dynasty will be punished no matter how far away they are!"

  The warriors below were also moved by Zhou Lü's passion and roared: "Those who offend the great Han dynasty will be punished, no matter how far away they are!"

  Zhou Lun listened to the warrior's continuous calls for three times, waved his hand, and signaled everyone to be quiet: "Now you look at your clothes, the shoulder badge on your shoulders represents your position, and the corresponding duties are in the military rank manual we gave to everyone. Hope that after going back, study it seriously. In addition, you see that there is nothing on your hat. Originally, there was a military emblem, but the commander's intention is for everyone to propose what kind of military emblem to make."

  The warriors below still stood motionless, Zhou Lun nodded in satisfaction and said: "Take a break, everyone go back and discuss, disperse!"

  Sitting in a small wine house inside Yueyang City, several well-known figures from within the city and representatives of various industries elected by the common people, including an elderly farmer. I looked around at the seated guests and said: "Everyone here has been elected by the common people as candidates for county government officials at all levels. Zhu's intention in inviting everyone this time is that he hopes you will not resort to unfair means for the sake of this election. What I hope to see is fair competition."

  After finishing speaking, he looked at those wealthy individuals.

  Those famous squire in Yueyang city hastily said: "Don't worry, leader. We will all follow the principle of fair competition and absolutely won't put any pressure on other candidates."

  I nodded in satisfaction and looked at the other candidates: "What do you think of my opinion and proposal? I guarantee that this is a fair competition."

  Others stood up at the same time and said: "We are very satisfied with the leader's principle of fairness. There is no other opinion. We will do our best to serve the people of Yueyang."

  "I nodded and said, 'Alright then, today I'll treat everyone to a meal. Remember, this is half a month's worth of my military pay!' Everyone burst out laughing at my words."

  I stood up and said: "Alright, let's stop eating here. You all go back and prepare well."

  In the conference room of the headquarters, I watched as the warriors discussed and deliberated on the elected military emblem samples. I took a look: A golden giant dragon coiled around, with a red sword piercing through its head from the tail, only revealing a hilt. Under the dragon's tail, two of our rifles were crossed to support it.

  I nodded in satisfaction and said: "Arun, it seems that the warriors' design level is not bad. I wonder whose idea it was?"

  Zhou Lun looked at me and said: "This is not one person's idea. It was discussed by all the warriors together."

  I exclaimed: "Okay, tell Huang De to make it according to this model. Make the mold and use the punching machine we brought to punch it into shape at once."

  After these days of rush work, all the military badges have been made. Looking at the soldiers happily holding their own designed badges and carefully hanging them on their military caps, joy is overflowing outside. I'm also quite happy in my heart. But at this time, what we least wanted to see also came along.