Chapter 69: The New Army

  If you need it, there are still some unwilling looks in the paving, please skip them.

  And don't even get me started on these two chattering away.

  In the arena, smoke and dust filled the air, with armor of different colors clashing together, somewhat resembling a real battle. But I wasn't very satisfied, these things were too crude, the weight and feel of the wooden products were far from those of real swords and guns, and couldn't fully test their effectiveness. Although hitting each other wouldn't kill anyone, getting bruised and battered was unavoidable.

  These troops from Songzhou's Shanqiang camp are equipped with leather armor and short shields, short spears. According to convention, large shields are generally advantageous in field battles, while small shields are advantageous in attacking fortifications, but in their hands, it is the opposite. These mountain Qiang people are different from the Pingyuan Qiang department of the Jianqi riders, they are good at marching on mountains and hills and are good at close combat, and they are absolutely local-style mountain infantry with ancient characteristics.

  Moreover, Songzhou is the front line of Tang and Tubo, with a very tense relationship in recent years, with constant friction and clashes. The third town of Langjun City, which was lost by Pan Tuo, is located in the most prominent part of the various towns and fortresses that intersect between the two countries, and has always been known for its good cooperation and combat coordination, even in close combat against Tubo cavalry. It is a thorn that Tibet wants to remove but cannot get rid of. Directly letting me join the vacant Yu Hou army to guard the main general is most appropriate.

  If there's still something unsatisfactory, apart from my Yu Hou and the Imperial Guard, other troops have undergone intense battles and selections over these days. Those who survived have honed their individual combat awareness and skills, with good morale and fighting spirit. There are few instances of emotional fluctuations due to personal relationships or familiarity, which can lead to reckless behavior affecting the entire team. However, there is still room for improvement in mutual coordination, especially in chaotic battles.

  It wasn't until after witnessing the Songzhou Qiangying battle that I realized where the problem lay - it was the lack of long-term, mutually cultivated tacit understanding and coordination that comes from sharing life and death together.

  After all, the veteran troops and the newly formed army, once they clashed, their strengths and weaknesses were immediately apparent. Although the former appeared to be disorderly on the surface, standing in a seemingly chaotic manner, in reality, they maintained a precise distance from each other, with their weapons at the ready, yet not too close together, so as to provide mutual cover. When the enemy approached, they would never raise their weapons prematurely; all their movements were simple, steady and unmatched, basically conditioned reflexes, clean and efficient, without wasting any energy.

  After each battle, the white ash of the beheaded and stabbed all fell near the vital parts of the chest and neck, specifically seeking positions that would not kill but severely injure and lose mobility. In contrast, new soldiers saw people and hacked wildly without purpose, with no distinction between high and low, the difference was quite obvious.

  After all, the time for the team to form is too short, and due to the mixed formation, the foundation of different levels needs time to grind. This is also an unavoidable thing.

  At the beginning, those refugees who came to supplement the troops had no training at all. In order to meet the needs, I adopted the most cruel and fastest way, directly letting the battlefield select them.

  After the vanguard broke through, most of the battles were ambushes and encounters. After defeating the main force, it was time to select these new troops. The regular army would encircle and press the enemy, letting these new recruits be led by a veteran soldier to clean up. It's worth noting that enemies on the brink of death are often more ferocious. Using these civilians who had just picked up their weapons to deal with them would come at a great cost. Often, after one wave of attacks, only three or four out of ten would remain, and there would be many who were completely disabled or intimidated. This was especially true in the final stages of the Battle of Luoyang, where the remaining enemy forces were compressed into a dozen or so groups. The middle battalion of the Sixth Regiment had to make a full rotation before they could be cleared out.

  Although losses were heavy.

  But I never worried about the lack of troops, there were many refugees who would kill for a mouthful of food in hunger, and as long as they could survive relatively intact, they grew up very quickly, learned to ignore death, and fought with the instinct to survive. They could even fight against regular armies, watching the bloody scenes of newcomers, or looking on coldly or excitedly. After all, the dead do not regret, but the living will remember forever, so after a few battles, they already had no lack of fighting spirit and killing instinct, but lacked sufficient training and organization, coordination and overall quality were much worse.

  Although they can only serve as auxiliary troops and supplementary personnel for the regular army, there are corresponding distinctions in treatment, such as a fixed amount of food given to them, priority in allocating spoils according to the number of enemies killed, and the right to select war booty first. Once they perform well and enter the regular army, they will also receive financial support. This gives people hope and enough levels and differences to compete with. This is the way to control. It is also the reason why a large number of refugees can tolerate hardships and difficulties under the control of a small number of troops without causing major chaos.

  Now that all the troops are gathered, they not only supplemented the strength of the Dragon Martial Army but also provided an opportunity for different military tactics to adapt to various regions and types of combat styles.

  And all of this was due to the Emperor himself. Perhaps it was several victories that allowed the old man who controlled a vast empire to regain some confidence and decisiveness, and he began to issue decrees to all corners of the realm, mobilizing troops and horses, with an air of grand ambition.

  The Crown Prince's northern expedition had no news, and the strong army of Chengdu's campaign headquarters was still strong. There were also some old ministers who fled to join him, which gave the old emperor another idea. Just a few days ago, the old emperor summoned me alone and ordered me to recommend a brave and capable person to lead the Dragon Martial Army as the commander-in-chief of the rear army, with the title of Governor of Daxianguan Pass, leading more than 8,000 soldiers from Hanzhong to form an independent unit.

  Although it is said that the Longwu Army is under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Court, it is a very important position to guard one side alone. The person in charge of the army was recommended by me because of Wei Boyu's excellent performance in the battle at Daxiaoguan Pass at night, so I temporarily appointed him as the Right Central General of the Longwu Army. I plan to let him lead the future Yu Hou Army and the Central Army. As for the deputy commander, it is a result of careful consideration, and there are some stories behind it. It is said that he was the top graduate of the Wuju examination in the 21st year of the Kaiyuan reign, and he has been promoted to his current position due to his contributions in border affairs while serving as the governor of Yaozhou. He is a native of Jingzhao, known for his loyalty and seniority.

  He also ordered the counties in Shannan East and West that had not yet fallen to appoint their governors as military commanders, to raise troops and supplies, with Fengzhou as the headquarters, under the command of Cui Yuan, deputy commander of Jianmen Circuit, who was leading his army northward, to oversee all military affairs in Shannan.

  However, in my personal opinion, this arrangement is reasonable and necessary, reflecting the ruler's weighing of interests. A vice envoy of Jian Nan and a Jian Nan lieutenant, neither having been appointed as the main envoy, jointly managed the affairs of Jian Nan, yet subtly created a situation where they were on an equal footing, exchanging ceremonial courtesies.

  Although it is said that there is one main army and one main government, with one in the south and one in the north, due to the original overlapping jurisdictions and territories, they effectively cancelled out each other's influence. However, the troops stationed at Daxigu Pass under the name of Longwu Army secretly embodied another safeguarding measure by the old emperor himself.

  During this time, other personnel matters were also arranged. Even the county magistrate of Hechi County, Zhuo Han Zhang, was appointed as a team leader due to his effective organization of escort and protection. However, this team leader position in the early Tang Dynasty was only a temporary appointment established after the abolition of the Fubing system in the middle of the Kaiyuan era. It belonged to a militia with no budget, relying on self-provision and self-raising for military equipment, food, and other supplies. Normally, its main task was to assist regular troops, undertaking tasks such as guarding local areas and transporting supplies to the front lines. Nevertheless, I think that in his capacity as an assistant organizer, he did provide some assistance by donating some discarded weapons and armor, and lending some personnel to help train those militiamen.

  There was an edict that the loyalist armies of the eight states and four towns, with 2-5 battalions each, were combined into one army, under the Left Golden Guard, from Daxiaoguan to Jinzhou in the north, and at Shangzhoujun as a horn-shaped response, specially granted the title Yonghua Army.

  Yonghua was the title of the little princess, according to the Tang Dynasty's ritual system, after a princess got married, she would be considered an adult and would be given a title by the imperial family to distinguish her. If it were a crown prince, he would also have to change his name (such as Zhong Wang being renamed Heng after being appointed as the Crown Prince). Generally, they would move out of the imperial family's exclusive residence, the Ten Kings' Mansion and Hundred Grandchildren Institute, and have their own fiefs, residences, and personal officials. However, since her father was still the crown prince, she was suddenly given a title equivalent to that of a princess of a commandery or a state, which was not in accordance with the ritual system. Normally, the Minister of Rites and the Censor-in-Chief would have to deliberate on such matters, but due to special circumstances during this period, many officials were absent from their posts, and those who had influence did not want to speak out on imperial family affairs. After the old emperor issued a special decree that did not need to go through the Imperial Secretariat or the Chancellery for deliberation, everyone kept silent, maintaining a tacit understanding that silence is golden.

  But unexpectedly, the military power of Yongguo again fell on my head as the only surviving Jinwu Zhonglang. However, at the same time, I had to lead the Longwu army to serve the emperor, and actually take charge of the deputy envoy of all the troops. This is a more important position, because it needs to face the invasion of the rebel army, so I recommended Gao Dafu, who defended well in the battle of Luoguo, together with the old camp soldiers as the backbone, and promoted them all to take over the troops.

  After this round of weighing and exchanging personnel, under my name, I had jurisdiction over two armies and three divisions. I naturally selected a batch of elite troops to come over, and also added many new subordinates from the eight states and six towns. According to my standards, they were all people with some characteristics. At least I think that an officer who makes soldiers admire and respect him is much more useful than one who is smooth and round in every way. I don't care about shortcomings; using people is also a matter of emphasizing strengths and avoiding weaknesses.

  For example, this guy with a deadpan face, Guo (Gang) Guoshi, although I don't know what kind of relationship he has with the famous Northwest Guo Linggong, but as his name suggests, his personality is just like his nickname - stubborn and hard-headed. This not only applies to his enemies but also to his own people. Being his superior is a very painful thing, so it's no wonder that he's been stuck in the position of school lieutenant for 17 years. However, this kind of person has one advantage: they absolutely obey military orders. As long as you have a legitimate reason, asking him to go die wouldn't be a problem. He's taciturn but very good at fighting, and is a typical figure unlike Fang Yili and Pan Tuo who came from the border troops. I plan to make him the deputy under Gao Dazhu, let the rebels gnaw on this hard stone.

  There was also Zhuo Yi, who was said to be the nephew of Zhuo County Magistrate. He originally served in the Hanzhong City Garrison and was one of the few who remained calm during the River Pool Incident. When some treacherous elements tried to stir up trouble at his post, he caught them off guard and killed them on the spot. He was a young man with courage and a talent for fighting, and had some influence among his subordinates. After the River Pool Incident, all of his superiors were dismissed, and he was also in trouble because he had been disrespectful to his superiors during the chaos. His uncle, Zhuo County Magistrate, couldn't protect him, so he relied on the kindness of a senior official to bring him and his troops under my command. This arrogant guy was soon put in his place by me, and he represented the new generation of generals who had been rapidly promoted from among the camp officers and team leaders.

  There is also Wei Yuanhua, as the secretary of the governor, although he has heard that it is not a formal official position, belonging to the governor's self-decision, can only be compared to the sixth rank for salary and benefits, and does not have a formal rank. So coming here to do a left long history from the sixth rank, it's also considered a good start. Familiar with the affairs of Jianmen, with rich experience in handling matters, fortunately, he has an excellent memory, and can easily get along with officials like Xue Jingxian. Such a person, how could Cui Yuan let him go so readily? I suspect that he might have some ideas. Still waiting to be observed.

  As for Xue Jingxian, he was a county magistrate who had no future prospects and was being used by me. However, as we spent more time together, I discovered that he actually had great potential as a strategist and possessed the qualities of a good aide-de-camp. He would consider everything from my perspective and handle matters quickly and effectively. After his crime of killing a national guest in Chen Cang County, he was already a dead man walking, but I was short-handed on staff and didn't have a taste for classical literature or traditional characters, so I brought him along to fill the quota. Since being pardoned by me under the pretext of military conscription, he has been following me devotedly, hoping for a better outcome in the future.

  Others, from the second-class border army to the imperial court's golden guard, were treated with a world of difference, and they were also overjoyed. In front of this new superior officer, I worked hard to make an impression.

  The cat went to Suzhou and Hangzhou, which are known as paradise on earth. However, the legendary beauties were nowhere to be seen, but instead, there were many foreigners, especially at West Lake in Hangzhou and Wuzhen. The crowds of people from England, France, Germany, America, and Russia surged forward like a black tide, making it impossible to find a spot to take photos. Those eight foreign armies had impressive physiques. I also saw the legendary Koreans, who were as easy to recognize as the Japanese, with their faces molded from the same iron template, looking like creditors. Compared to the rich expressions of fellow countrymen from all over the world, it gave me a sense of déjà vu.

  Arrived in Suzhou, things got a bit better. Went to other places to shop, including what's called Ju Hua tea, Longjing tea, Silk Museum, Pearl Museum, and Zi Sha Taoist Temple. At the Panmen Scenic Area, met newlyweds, that bride was stunning, those bridesmaids were stunning too... nothing more to say (maybe some people suspect it's just makeup, but cats say pigs can never be made up to look like humans). Can't help but think Suzhou is indeed one of the best cities to live in.