"Turn left! Turn left! Turn back! Move together!" Following simple and straightforward orders, a small square team of fifty people marched forward in neat steps, with a hundred feet stepping alternately. There was a neat tapping sound on the ground, as if there was only one giant moving forward.
However, this time it was no longer Sun Tu, the team coach, who was shouting slogans from the side of the team, but the captain of the fifty-man team, a young man with a stocky body and dark skin. This team should have a mixed bag of good and bad. The team is now very different from what it was ten days ago.
After ten days of hard training, this team of rural soldiers, who were not even a ragtag team before, has undergone qualitative changes. This is not only reflected in the age of the soldiers, but also in the remaining veterans with gray beards and hair who have lost their strength. They have been eliminated in the training again and again, and their successors are replaced by their nephews and successors. This is reflected in their energy and spirit. They no longer have the lazy and loose appearance of the past. Each one of them appears to be full of energy and their faces are full of energy. He became resolute, and every movement seemed particularly neat and powerful. Every step he took made puffs of smoke rise from the ground.
Spurred by the clear slogan "121", this 50-person square team kept moving forward, and was about to hit the newly built wooden wall of the camp ahead. However, before the captain shouted to stop, this formation The fifty people actually had no intention of stopping. Even if there was a wall in front of them, they had the courage to smash it into pieces.
Just when the ten soldiers walking in the first row were about to hit the wall, a sharp bamboo whistle finally came from behind. At this time, the captain shouted: "Stand still!" The team suddenly stopped. , stood firmly in front of the wooden wall, as motionless as a pine!
After Sun Tu took the bamboo whistle away from his mouth, a satisfied smile appeared on his face. These ten days of rigorous training finally showed some results. At least 50 elite soldiers who were determined and obedient to orders were selected from the more than 300 rural soldiers. Then, he walked up to the team, turned around, stared at them and asked, "Tell me, since there is a wall in front of you, why don't you stop?"
"Report for group training, because we only follow orders and don't know what is ahead!" Fifty soldiers responded in unison, their voices echoing in the air with astonishing momentum.
"Very good. Today's training is over. Disband on the spot." Sun Tu nodded with satisfaction and waved his hand.
After hearing this, the fifty people relaxed a little. They turned around and ran to the newly built barracks next to them. At this time, there was already an alluring aroma of meat inside, which they had never dared to think about before. A feast is waiting for them.
The reason why Sun Tu was able to train these fifty indomitable warriors in just ten days was not only due to strict requirements and strict military discipline, but also generous rewards.
Since the third day of the training team, Sun Tu has had two fat pigs bought from the market slaughtered and skinned in public, and then stewed in a big pot. In just a moment, the attractive meat The incense spread over the entire military camp, making everyone salivate.
Although the Song Dynasty was relatively wealthy, ordinary people could only eat meat during the New Year and festivals. Of course, pork is not as highly regarded as the popular beef and mutton at this time.
, but for ordinary people, this is still a great temptation. The smell of the tangy fragrance makes the soldiers who were still obeying the orders to drill all distracted and distracted.
It wasn't until after noon that Sun Tufang announced his decision to the public: "Starting from today, my camp will prepare two fat pigs for you every day. But not everyone can eat such good food. Only in the Only those who perform well in training are qualified to enjoy such rewards. If you want to have meat to eat every day, practice hard and let me see your skills!" After saying this, he was immediately selected from the three hundred people. The fifty people who performed best just now were asked to go to the pot to fill the meat.
When they saw that their friends could actually eat meat, but they could only eat dry biscuits with cold water to satisfy their hunger, many soldiers felt unwilling to admit defeat. So in the next few days, the atmosphere of the entire military camp, where more than 300 people were training, changed dramatically.
Everyone began to practice vigorously, trying to follow every request made by Sun Tu. Even when it was time to rest, some people were practicing in private, thinking that they could make their movements more effective. improved. Because of this, the veteran who originally wanted to stay in the military camp finally gave up his intention of continuing to hang out here. While withdrawing from the army, he sent his nephew to Sun Tu's command.
As expected, Sun Tu did not break his promise. In the next ten days, he had people buy fat pigs from the market every day to provide extra meals for those who performed well. In addition to making all the sergeants in the battalion train harder, he also received these more than three hundred The trust and respect of a soldier.
After these days of training, the three hundred rural soldiers have become elites who can enforce orders and prohibitions. Especially the fifty people selected early this morning only know orders and know nothing else. This is exactly what Sun Tu hopes. See the results. Only when an army no longer fights alone and is united as one can it truly possess combat effectiveness.
This was the purpose of Sun Tu constantly asking them to repeat those basic military training actions for ten days. Discipline and teamwork are the basis for training an elite army.
When this result was revealed, Yang Zhi and Luda were amazed, especially the latter, who couldn't help but wonder when he saw the slightly thin soldiers performing the prescribed actions according to the orders. Bean praised softly: "Now I am convinced of Sanlang. To be honest, when Sajia came with him from Tokyo, I still had some doubts in my heart, thinking how could he have the ability to train soldiers at such a young age. But now It seems that I still underestimated him, Sanlang's ability in training troops is really good. Although they are not yet ready for combat, but just looking at the appearance of these people, in time they will become an elite force of the Song Dynasty that is not inferior to the Western Army!"
This can be regarded as a very high praise. You must know that the hundreds of thousands of officers and soldiers of the Song Dynasty, including the Forbidden Army guarding Bianliang in Tokyo, are ranked first in combat power by the Western Army, which has been fighting the Xixia people all year round. . At this time, Ruda said that these Jiangzhou rural soldiers could be compared with the Western Army, which shows how much he recognized this team.
Yang Zhi also nodded with deep understanding and said: "Yes, their military morale and discipline have been tempered. What is lacking now is to teach them how to fight."
"This is exactly the key point, and it is also the problem I hope my two brothers can help me solve.
. Sun Tu came to the two of them in time, smiled and fisted: "You have all experienced in the military, you must know how to train them, right?" "
Whether it was the technical and tactical movements Sun Tu learned from later generations or the martial arts he learned from Zhou Tong, it was obvious that they were not applicable to military officers. After all, there was a huge difference between individual combat and confrontation between two armies.
Luda and Yang Zhi looked at each other and laughed: "We have long wanted to ask Sanlang when you will teach them how to fight in the army. Naturally, we are willing to teach them everything we know. !”
A few simple conversations decided the next training program for the rural soldiers, but before that, the strange training methods here had been spread throughout Jiangzhou City, and even by many local officials. As a joke.
Some officials who were already dissatisfied with Sun Tu also took this opportunity to attack him. The first to take action was Lin Henian, the governor of Jiangzhou. Affected by the military ration fraud case, he had to bleed a lot in order to appease the Xiang army. He hated Sun Tu to the core. This time he took the opportunity to come to Yuan Wang and said: "Yuan Zhou pushed it, but the lower official listened. Having said that, Sun Tuanlian only asked them to do useless things like standing and walking in the military camp of the rural soldiers. If this continues, I'm afraid these rural soldiers will be completely useless."
"Oh? So what does Lin Dujian mean?" Yuan Wang asked with a noncommittal smile.
"It would be fine in normal times, but now there are still a large group of water bandits outside Jiangzhou City that need to be wiped out. We cannot let him destroy this rural soldier. Therefore, I think I should deprive him of his military power and replace it with People train local soldiers." Lin Henian immediately made his attitude clear.
"Although there is some truth in what you say, you may not be able to convince the public just by relying on such rhetoric." Yuan Wang did not agree to the other party's request, but just looked at Lin Henian: "If you want to succeed, you have to rely on your Xiang army. Your own ability.”
"What do you mean by state promotion?"
"The imperial court specially arranged for Sun Tuanlian to come here, and he is protected by Tai. If there is no conclusive evidence, I cannot attack them. If you want to take away his military power, you must make people believe that he is incompetent." He paused. After getting off, Yuan Wang said seriously: "Next month, I will arrange a military competition. If you are confident that you can defeat the local soldiers, I can consider fulfilling your wish."
"I understand, Yuan Zhoutui, just don't worry." Lin Henian immediately brightened up and assured him, patting his chest.
After sending the people away, Yuan Wangcai glanced at Xu Chong beside him: "What do you think?"
"I think that Sun Tuanlian is not a random person, otherwise he would not be entrusted with important tasks by the imperial court. He must have his own purpose for doing such things in the rural soldiers' camp."
"No matter what, we have to weigh him to see if he only knows some conspiracy tactics but knows nothing about military training." Yuan Wang said and exhaled softly: "If he really has the ability to train soldiers I don't mind helping him, maybe we can turn his enemy into a friend and let him stand with us."
"My boss is wise." Xu Chong nodded in agreement and smiled. The change between the enemy and ourselves in the officialdom is very fast. Everything is only based on interests.
However, if Yuan Wang knew what Sun Tu would do next, he might not be so sure and relaxed...