Chapter Twelve: Training Soldiers

  "What about you, Tian Ke? Yi Yin was just a flavoring slave, but he was able to assist King Tang of Shang in unifying the world. Although you are a Tian Ke, you are still stronger than a slave." Speaking to this point, Zhi Shan opened his right hand and said in a low voice: "If you listen to me and stay in Xuejiazhuang, you will surely turn disaster into good fortune and adversity into prosperity!"

  If what Zhou Ping had just heard from Zhi Shan was still shocking, then at this moment it was as if a thunderbolt had struck him on the head. He stared with his mouth agape and said: "Stay in Xuejiazhuang? Why do you say that?"

  "Zhou Tan Yue, I won't hide it from you, the Xue family is deeply involved with you. If you were to leave them and be alone, not only would you not succeed, but you might even face mortal danger!" Zhi Shan smiled: "Moreover, now that Xue's second son has taken you as his sworn brother, if this time you capture the thief, although the county magistrate may not necessarily promote you to a high position, at least you'll get a low-ranking official post like a district officer or patrol officer. Following him will give you a chance to advance." Seeing Zhou Ping still hesitating, Zhi Shan persuaded: "Zhou Tan Yue, I have one sentence, don't know if you can hear it, this world is big, but if you're alone and without a family clan, where can you find a place to stand? Without relatives or friends, wherever you go, it's all thorns!"

  This remark was like the evening drum and morning bell, startling Zhou Ping out of his hesitation about whether to leave or stay. As Master Zishan had just said, in most cases, ancient Chinese people were active as a member of their family. Without the support of their family, it was extremely difficult for one person to survive, let alone achieve anything. As a traverser, having no blood relatives and being alone was his fatal weakness. If he ran to the south alone now, he would have to endure the oppression of local bullies again. Rather than that, it's better to stay first and try to integrate into the Xue family. At most, after recovering from Yan, think of a way to persuade the Xue family to move south together, and if not, then leave alone later.

  "Thank you, Master, for pointing out my confusion!" Zhou Ping stood up and bowed deeply to Zhi Shan. Regardless of what intentions this monk had, it seemed that he still had good intentions towards him, and responding with kindness was the wisest choice.

  Zhishan Tai'an received Zhou Ping's courtesy, smiled and said: "It's getting late, let's stop here for today. If I'm not mistaken, tomorrow Mr. Xue will train the village soldiers. The Xue family is a centuries-old aristocratic family with unique secrets in military training. You must be careful to observe!" Having said that, Zhishan didn't say much more and stood up to leave.

  "What a secret gain?" Zhou Ping muttered to himself, lay back on the bed, and suddenly felt something hard under him. He hurriedly got up and turned it over, only to find that it was the more than 100 wen of money and the handkerchief wrapped in copper coins that Yunniang had thrown at him earlier. Zhou Ping picked up the handkerchief, sniffed the faint scent emitted from it, thought of Zhishan's advice and Yunniang's affection for him, and was momentarily stunned.

  Two days later, at noon, on the drill ground of the county government office in Anyang County, the newly harvested and dried grains had been moved away, revealing a vacant lot of about two or three mu. The robust men from more than 20 villages attached to Anyang County were lazily basking in the sun, chatting idly in groups of three or five. Due to the original county magistrate Zhu Zhi being injured and unable to handle affairs, Magistrate Shen had let newly appointed Nanxiang Patrol Officer Xue Liangchen act as a proxy for the county magistrate, taking charge of capturing thieves. All the robust men from the villages had been notified by the village officials and came to respond to the call.

  "Xue Xun is here!" With a long, drawn-out shout, the Ding Zhuangs were startled and got up from the ground in twos and threes. A group of people came out of Xue's village, led by the newly appointed Anyang South Wing Patrolman Xue Liangchen. Behind him were two rows of shoulder-carrying long spears, with waist-bowed bows. The villagers from Xue's village marched out in a line, forming a wing-like shape on either side of Xue Liangchen. After they stopped, they slammed the base of their spears onto the ground, producing a muffled sound. The snow-white spear tips pointed towards the sky, looking quite intimidating. This display immediately calmed down the noisy archers from the four villages, and the scene fell silent.

  "Gentlemen, I'm sure you're all aware of the recent robbery at the Dayu Pavilion? Those thieves are so brazen, they even dared to target the Han family's pavilion. If we don't eliminate them quickly, who knows which family will be their next victim?

  Saying this, Xue Liangchen paused for a moment, allowing the archers below to fully grasp the severity of the situation. After a brief moment, the murmurs from the crowd subsided, and he continued: "The county magistrate has ordered me to lead troops to capture these thieves. They're not only extremely daring but also cunning. Even County Lieutenant Zhu couldn't get the better of them. We can't underestimate them either.

  Although you are all my fellow townspeople, on the battlefield, where life and death hang in the balance, there is no room for sentimentality. If anyone disobeys military orders, I will have to put aside personal relationships!"

  At this point, Xue Liangchen shouted loudly: "Where is Military Officer Zhou Ping?"

  Zhou Ping, who was standing behind Xue Liangchen, hastily stepped forward and responded loudly: "Your subordinate is here!"

  "You'd better read out the law degree!" Xue Liangchen said.

  "Yes!" Zhou Ping took out a volume of documents from his bosom and read aloud: "In military operations, the drum is used as a signal. At the first beat, infantry and cavalry prepare; at the second beat, cavalry mount their horses and infantry form up; at the third beat, they advance in order, following the direction of the banner. Those who stay behind form up behind the banner, and when they hear the urgent drumbeat, they form up in battle array. Scouts observe the terrain and stand at the four corners to guide the formation of the battle array.

  All units must report their numbers to the army administration office. Those who do not comply with the order will be beheaded. If soldiers want to form an array opposite the enemy camp, they must first report to the commander and then lead their troops to form up according to the commander's instructions.

  In battle, everyone must listen carefully to the drumbeats and follow the direction of the banners. Those who advance or retreat without orders will be beheaded. If a soldier does not advance, his squad leader will kill him; if a squad leader does not advance, his company commander will kill him; if a company commander does not advance, the battalion commander will kill him.

  The duty officer must supervise the soldiers and behead those who disobey orders. If one unit is attacked and other units do not come to its rescue, they will be beheaded. Soldiers are not allowed to leave their formation during battle. Those who leave their formation without permission will be beheaded along with their squad leaders.

  Without the commander's order, anyone who moves between formations will be beheaded. In battle, the vanguard and rearguard must be at the two ends of the army; if the vanguard is defeated, the rearguard will follow, and the reserve cavalry will be in the rear. Those who disobey orders will be punished with 200 lashes.

  Soldiers are not allowed to retreat into their formation without permission. If infantry and cavalry face the enemy together, and at the moment of battle, someone wants to send the cavalry alone to attack the enemy, they must hear the third drumbeat, and then the cavalry will advance from both sides, following the direction of the banners, and return when they hear the third gold bell sound.

  This only applies to solo battles. In large-scale battles involving infantry and cavalry, advances and retreats follow established procedures. Soldiers who shout loudly or ride horses recklessly towards the enemy formation will be beheaded.

  Soldiers are not allowed to pursue the enemy alone in front of or behind their comrades; those who disobey orders will be fined four taels of gold. In battle, soldiers must follow their unit's banner. Those who do not follow their banner, even if they achieve merit, will not be rewarded.

  In battle, soldiers who advance out of order, with the rear troops advancing in front and the front troops staying behind, will not be rewarded for their merit. The duty officer must supervise the soldiers and ensure that they follow orders; those who disobey orders or show cowardice will be punished.

  When there is an emergency, after hearing the drumbeat, the six beats of the bell will sound, and then the soldiers can advance. Those who flee from battle will be beheaded. If a soldier's family member is captured by the enemy and he does not report it to his commander, he will be considered a deserter and punished accordingly."

  Here is the translation:

  It was not easy for Zhou Ping to finish reading this ancient text, which was why Xue Liangchen had specifically asked him to be the military officer. If it were a matter of cultural level, perhaps even the four brothers of the Xue family couldn't compare with him. Even Xue's father himself could only understand the meaning of this military order passed down from his ancestors, but not read it fluently. The archers listening below were even more bewildered, only hearing the occasional "execute" and falling silent like cicadas in winter.

  However, after relying on his own foundation in classical Chinese to decipher the text over two days, Zhou Ping finally understood the general meaning of this short passage. If he wasn't mistaken, it should be a high-level military commander's guide from ancient China, clearly explaining simple command, marching, encountering enemies, choosing battlefields, deploying troops, and attacking.

  It was worth noting that in ancient times, communication methods were extremely primitive, and commanders could only control their troops through drums, flags, and messengers. To maintain control over the army during marches and battles, and to achieve victory, it was extremely difficult. To achieve this goal, strict orders had to be formulated beforehand, and harsh military laws had to be used to guarantee their implementation.

  These orders were extremely important secrets in ancient times, only kept within the military and a few aristocratic families, because only with these orders could soldiers be trained into an army, and various strategies be implemented. This was also why many peasant uprisings in ancient times, with tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people, would sweep through states and counties but ultimately be defeated by a much smaller official army.

  The reason was simple: the uprising armies lacked people who understood these military tactics, and were just a mob, unable to withstand an organized army.

  "It seems that the monk's words were not wrong, this Xue family has a unique secret in governing the army. I'll stay here and learn from them, even if it's just these things, it's already a big gain. Otherwise, to learn these things, one would have to enlist as a soldier and get tattooed! Zhou Ping watched Xue Liangchen loudly explaining the specific punishments in the military law, and had already secretly made up his mind to carefully observe and seize this hard-won opportunity in the coming days."

  At this time, the autumn harvest had already ended. Shen Zhi County was worried that the Han family would make things difficult for him in the court, so he gave out generous rewards and made promises. He promised that anyone who participated in this campaign to pacify the bandits would be exempt from labor duties for the next two years. This was a great temptation for the farmers.

  As a result, over the next few days, more than 200 archers and militiamen came from all directions to enlist. The Xue brothers weeded out the old and weak, and trained the remaining 150 or so strong men into three battalions, each divided into five teams. They selected people with prestige and bravery among the archers as battalion leaders, deputy leaders, team leaders, and flag bearers. Zhou Ping also became a team leader, commanding over a dozen men.

  There is still one more chapter left for today. Thank you to readers who have given rewards and voted for this book. All I can do is write books sincerely, hoping that everyone will continue to support me. If possible, please spread the word and let those who write books sincerely receive their due reward.