Chapter 27: Military Rules

  After resting for two more days, Wang Hengyu was able to move on his own.

  Every day, staying in the house, I can hear the slogans of the new army's morning exercise, thinking about the new army, my heart is already itchy. At this time, the injury was no longer a problem, how could I continue to lie down?

  Don't call anyone, just go out by yourself.

  "The team officer is here." The first row leader Xie Shui, who was exercising, hastily said to Wang Hengyue.

  Wang Hengyue set rules for them, and this "big man" was called up in vain, it's better to be called "team officer" in the army.

  "It's all right, I'll just watch, you continue with your self-practice." Wang Hengyue said with a wave of his hand.

  The first team of four rows, plus armed guards, looked around and started exercising in a completely different way.

  The first row of soldiers, led by Xie Shui Xiang, were divided into several teams to fight each other. Xie Shui Xiang shouted loudly on the side, and those who did not fight hard enough would be scolded by him. These soldiers really fought with all their might, treating each other as sworn enemies.

  The second row's platoon leader, Li Yifeng, held a Martini-Henry rifle and carefully explained the shooting techniques to the soldiers. He explained how to shoot, the standard shooting posture, and so on, explaining very carefully.

  The third row of Xu Mu, however, led the soldiers in intense military training. Throwing, climbing... if any action was not done perfectly, they would have to do it again.

  The squad leader Liu Sihai, however, had somehow managed to get his hands on a wooden cannon. Liu Sihai had his comrades gather around him and gave them a detailed explanation of the cannon's structure and how to operate it.

  This man was originally a master of artillery, and although there were no cannons at the moment, Wang Hengyue had promised him that he would definitely get some cannons, and Liu Sihai's mind was now preoccupied with cannons.

  Arriving at the Armed Guards Unit, it was a different scene again.

  Yang Fangyun went to Chengdu, leaving Deng Xia in charge of training the armed guards.

  Deng Xia has vision, but he is not old enough. Wang Hengyue was worried that Deng Xia alone could not bear such a great responsibility, but at this moment, he was amazed.

  Deng Xia didn't let the soldiers practice, but instead carefully explained offensive strategies, defensive secrets and so on. If the soldiers didn't understand after one explanation, Deng Xia would patiently repeat it again and again until they grasped it.

  Wang Hengyue quietly approached and found a stack of papers on the ground. Upon opening them, he discovered that they were training outlines. Inside, it was recorded what to do every day, detailed down to what to do in the morning and afternoon. Further down, there were even several lessons on the American Civil War, the Franco-Prussian War, as well as China's gains and losses in several wars against foreign countries.

  "Deng Xia." Wang Hengyue called out after Deng Xia finished speaking.

  "Deng Xia is here!" Seeing the officer coming, Deng Xia hastily ordered the soldiers to rest and came before Wang Hengyue.

  Wang Hengyue flipped through the training outline in his hand: "Everyone else is practicing seriously, why are you so calm?"

  "Return to the team and discuss." Deng Xia hurriedly said: "If one wants to do a good job, he must first sharpen his tools. Now, Deng Xia is teaching them how to attack, how to defend, key points, once they understand clearly in their hearts, then practicing will necessarily achieve twice the result with half the effort!"

  Wang Hengyue nodded: "What about this? The American Civil War, the Franco-Prussian War?"

  "Deng Xia only chose a few typical battles to explain to the soldiers, why they would win or lose, and let them have a clear understanding in their minds, to make up for their shortcomings, to learn from the strengths of the foreigners and avoid their weaknesses."

  "Good, good!" Wang Hengyue greatly appreciated it and returned the outline to Deng Xia: "Originally I was thinking of giving Yang Fangyun another important task, considering his successor. Now, I think you can be in command of the armed guard."

  "Thank you, Captain. Deng Xia will definitely not disappoint the captain's expectations." Deng Xia didn't decline at all.

  Wang Hengyue thought for a moment: "When Pete comes back, let him come here to be the deputy commander. This dead foreign devil is always boasting about how great he is, I'd like to see if he really has any real skills!"

  Unfortunately, Pitt is not around now, otherwise he would have been boasting again after hearing this.

  Just then, the dinner bell rang out. The soldiers hastily formed ranks, and each squad leader asked:

  "Who gave you food to eat?"

  The soldiers were unanimous:

  "King Henry!"

  Then Shangguan Da's loud voice asked: "Who issued your salary?"

  "King Henry!"

  "Whose life is yours?"

  "King Henry!"

  The soldiers' loud response left Wang Hengyue stunned there.

  What? This... Could it be, could I be Yuan Shikai?

  This is not over yet, wait until all the questions are asked, and then listen to the soldiers shouting in unison:

  "Reward and punishment are clear, honor and shame are shared; exhaust one's strength to repay, unswerving in life and death! Advance together in life, retreat together in death; loyal, righteous, brave, and decisive, no regrets even in death!"

  Then, Yu Lei walked over with a ledger-like thing in his hand, flipped through it and said: "Second row, first shed, Ding Li Feng!"

  "Brother Ding is here!" A big Han walked out.

  Yu Lei rolled her eyes and looked at him: "Ding Lifu, didn't you say yesterday that the Beiyang government gave more silver than us?"

  Yes!

  Yu Le sneered: "The salary of the Beiyang army is more than ours, but our salary is all paid by Wang Hengyue himself. Every penny you get in your hands is given by Lord Wang! What can be compared between Beiyang and me? Can Yuan Shikai take out his own silver to raise troops? Moreover, look at my Sichuan new army, the soldiers are all paid two taels and six mace, while my first team is paid three taels, actually issued for three months. You don't know how to repay kindness, but instead you dare to belittle your superiors, do you know your crime?"

  "I'm guilty! I just said it on impulse."

  "It's good that you know your mistake." Yu Lei turned to Li Yifeng: "Li Pai Zhang, according to the rules, what should be done?"

  Li Yifeng shouted: "Punish him with ten military rods!"

  At this time, Ding Li Feng was dragged out by the head of the crowd. In front of the army, "slap slap" ten military clubs were beaten down.

  After being beaten up, Ding Li Feng was brought back limping and staggering, but Yu Lei spoke again in a slow and leisurely tone:

  "Did you say before exercise this morning, 'Ding Lifu', that Mr. Wang beat the foreigner in anger, which was actually for the glory of our Sichuan people? Following Mr. Wang is the most enjoyable thing to do, did you say that?"

  "Yes."

  Yu Lei smiled slightly: "Reward and punishment are clear, this is our military rule. By order of General Wang's command, Ding Li Feng was loyal to the peak, rewarded with a month's worth of silver!"

  Ding Li Feng was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly he was rewarded. He took a step forward and said loudly: "Officer Wang's rewards and punishments are clear-cut, if you do wrong you get beaten, if you do right you get rewarded, Ding Li Feng is convinced! In this life, Ding Li Feng will only listen to Officer Wang, if Officer Wang wants me to die, I am willing!"

  These words went into Wang Hengyue's ears without exception, and he suddenly turned his head to ask Deng Xia: "I remember I arranged for Yu Lei to be a clerk, right?"

  Deng Xia smiled and nodded, Wang Hengyue was very surprised: "Have you ever seen a military unit with such a clerk?"

  Deng Xia smiled and said:

  "This is the military rule that De Guang and we have discussed, we all think it's reasonable and are willing to obey. Since it was formulated by De Guang, we discuss it every day and De Guang comes to implement it!"