The world of film and television begins with the God of Medicine.

Chapter 1648 A Little Lead
"Big brother, big brother, everyone in our village has come to seek refuge with us, hahaha..."

Early that morning, Zhao Erhu excitedly ran to find Wang Yan, feeling like he had finally made something of himself.

I wanted to help you get rich in the past, but you looked down on me. Now, you still have to come and rely on me, Zhao Erhu.
As the Taiping army gained control of Jiangnan and launched probing attacks on Jiangbei, more and more people became refugees, fleeing northwards to places with food.

Even in a place outside the mountains, not far from Lu'an and Shucheng, you can often encounter refugees of all ages fleeing their homes.

Migrants sound like a group of helpless, destitute people who have left their homes and are struggling to survive. In fact, they are indeed pitiful. If they could choose, no one would choose to live like this; they are all just trying to survive.

However pitiful the refugees may be, they were by no means kind. They were hungry! They had no one to rely on! They outnumbered and outmatched!
As they roamed, the timid would steal, the bold would rob, the even bolder would kill, and the even bolder would simply unite into a force and become roaming bandits, burning, killing, looting and harming people everywhere.

This gives you an idea of ​​the immense pressure Zhao Erhu's fellow villagers endured every day.

The gazes of every group of passing refugees made them feel like they had thorns in their backs, a fishbone stuck in their throats, and were sitting on pins and needles; they were so uncomfortable from being stared at that they felt numb.

Finally, with the recent commotion, the people noticed the unusual movements in Huoshan and realized that war might be brewing. This became the last straw, and the whole village rushed to join them.

In fact, some of Erhu's fellow villagers had come over in the past period of time, but some were still stubborn. Erhu's words were indeed harsh, and some people would put up with it for the sake of saving face. If you had a good relationship with Erhu, he might say a few nice words to get people to follow him, but if you didn't have a good relationship with Erhu, he really wouldn't care.

Zhao Erhu didn't understand much; he only cared for his brothers and his own people. Otherwise, Pang Qingyun wouldn't have suffered so much, still worried about his good brother even on his deathbed, never realizing that his good brother was the one who wanted him dead.

Pang Qingyun has explained the method of success in detail: be disloyal, sleep with your brothers' wives, betray your brothers. In short, there is nothing that cannot be given up, and you can give up what you can give up. Then you will be the next Governor-General of Liangjiang...

"Do as you please. They all came here to rely on you. Just say a few words to put them down, but don't make things difficult for them."

"I know, brother, do I look like someone who's petty?"

Wang Yan glanced at him, drew his bow, and the arrow spun out of the bowstring.

A hundred meters away, a cross could be seen standing in the distance, with a man bound to it, his mouth gagged and whimpering. Arrows whizzed past, landing on the man's head. At that moment, the man was already riddled with arrows…

"Second brother, your problem isn't that you're petty, it's that you're too big-hearted. You're too protective of your own people. Take your nephew who's so cunning, for example. What can he do? You want him to be in charge? Can he manage things properly? He's unwilling to learn, and he uses your name as his second uncle to bully the other brothers, act arrogantly, and his hands aren't clean either."

I don't want to get involved in your family affairs, but I can't let you go out and manage a whole bunch of things, so I don't want to embarrass you or diminish your prestige. You need to understand these things. I know you want everyone to be well, but you can't let someone become greedy and incompetent. As your older brother, I didn't say I wanted you, my good brother, to be an official right away. Didn't I teach you from the beginning?

Don't you know how badly you were doing at the beginning? Don't let your good intentions ruin our big plans. Your brothers are brothers, but other people's brothers aren't? I have a feeling that this time it might really be war. Send those people you arranged who said they'd risk their lives for us to be the vanguard, let them lead the charge, and see if they can really keep their word.”

Zhao Erhu fell silent. Rationally, he knew his elder brother was right, and emotionally, he also felt that his elder brother was right. However, he couldn't bring himself to arrange for the villagers to be the vanguard and send them to their deaths.

Zhao Erhu has no psychological qualms about killing strangers, but he feels uncomfortable killing his own relatives. That's just the kind of person he is.

"Brother, can we give them another chance?" He remained silent for a long time before finally pleading.

“Children who are always kept in swaddling clothes will never grow up. They haven’t made any big mistakes yet, so they still have a chance. But if they kill other brothers, I’ll have to skin them alive. What will you say then? It’s better to have a short pain than a long one. When you gave them preferential treatment in the first place, you destined this to happen.”

Wang Yan's cold words shattered any remaining hope in Zhao Erhu's heart. He sighed and then turned around to find a young man not far away.

"Brother, I don't know if you remember me. I met you in our village before, Shi Jinbiao. He's the best fighter in our village now, and he's also smart. He finally figured things out and came to join us."

Erhu forced a smile, his eyes filled with longing as he looked at his good brother.

This was definitely not a good time. He had just been scolded by his elder brother for trying to improve the lives of the villagers, and his brother was going to send the people he had planted to their deaths as front-line soldiers. So he brought in another person and asked his elder brother to arrange a job for him.

For ordinary positions, he could make his own decisions without reporting to his elder brother. If he wanted Shi Jinbiao to rise higher, play a greater role, and have a better future, then it was definitely the best choice to have his elder brother arrange things from the beginning.

The timing was just not right...

Seeing Erhu whimpering like a dog that had just been kicked, Wang Yan chuckled and shook his head: "You're not the type to overthink things, so don't worry about useless matters. One thing at a time, one person at a time. Do you think I'm some kind of foolish and wicked person?"

“Of course not, big brother.” Zhao Erhu laughed and then patted Shi Jinbiao’s back hard. “He’s a year younger than me and he’s strong. As long as he learns our kung fu and takes some medicine to strengthen himself, he’ll definitely be able to fight even better than me.”

"Then let's practice here in the training ground first, build a foundation, and then see how we perform."

Although it seems like there's no special treatment and the training is the same as other soldiers, the fact that Wang Yan gets to know people before training is clearly different.

This is the basic training for Wang Yan's forces; all personnel in the combat units must undergo this training. Their final destinations will be determined based on their performance in different subjects.

For example, those with high combat skills could become镖头 (head镖师, escorts) in镖局 (镖局 is a type of security escort agency) or become bandits in other bandit strongholds already occupied by镖局. Those with clear minds and quick learning abilities could learn military knowledge and do logistical work in镖局 or similar places, serving as supplementary forces. There were also other roles such as surveying, research, and secretarial work.

Many positions under Wang Yan require a training background from the training camp and a certain level of combat capability. To put it figuratively, the training camp in Huoshan County is roughly Wang Yan's Whampoa Military Academy.

Now, with its continuous improvement, the subjects taught are virtually identical to those of military academies. The only difference is that there are no entrance requirements; anyone willing to risk everything for a better future can get in.

But studying doesn't necessarily mean you'll be good at it. After all, there are various assessments and competitions at the same time, and only those with good grades can get good positions and a bright future.

Not being a good person doesn't mean they're finished. After all, the country is currently expanding, and everyone has a chance. In this era of great change, temporary success or failure is really insignificant, because opportunities come countless times; seizing just one is enough. It could be killing an extra enemy and earning a merit, or finally mastering the various military regulations, demonstrating outstanding qualities, and being transferred to the surveillance system…

Moreover, upon promotion or after meritorious service, individuals would return to Huoshan for further study, somewhat resembling a Party school. This was intended to deepen ideological consensus and equip them with professional knowledge and skills befitting their positions. In the case of Shi Jinbiao, brought along by Zhao Erhu, even if he wasn't exceptionally outstanding, achieving a mediocre performance would guarantee a better future than others.

Shi Jinbiao cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, sir!"

"Whether you become a dragon or a worm, it ultimately depends on your own efforts. A worm can't become a dragon. If you don't have the ability, even if the second brother and I wanted you to take on a big role, you wouldn't be able to handle it. Go report over there and hone your skills. War is about to break out, and your time to shine will come."

"Yes!" Shi Jinbiao replied emphatically, then nodded to Zhao Erhu, and decisively ran off to join the training team...

Zhao Erhu decided not to stay and get in the way, and left to study the arrangements for his fellow villagers.

Wang Yan drew his bow and nocked an arrow. The bowstring slipped off the white jade thumb ring on his right hand, and the enormous kinetic energy propelled the arrow forward, once again striking the human-shaped target in the distance.

These are assassins from the White Lotus Cult who have infiltrated his kitchen and are trying to poison his food...

That's why Wang Yan said that this time a war might really break out, because the Heavenly Kingdom showed some intolerance towards his existence.

It's not fair to blame the Heavenly Kingdom; it holds this position and wields considerable power, having a history of gathering troops to attack large-scale bandits.

Currently, Wang Yan's force is the strongest in the Jiangbei area, and its influence is truly significant. Warfare is not child's play; one cannot simply say they won't act because they have no malicious intent. Of course, even if they say they won't act, no one dares to believe them.

And so, the inevitable war began.

In May, scouts observed a large contingent of Taiping troops passing through Shucheng and heading north. This force swept through the countryside, advancing as if into an empty field, winning battle after battle, and marching straight towards the capital.

In June, scouts observed that large groups of troops were coming from Anqing and began to clear the Dabie Mountains in a purposeful manner, and were heading towards Huoshan County from various directions.

This was the beginning of the war.

"Grandpa, they're taking advantage of our superior numbers to bully us."

Looking at the map, Lu Mocheng, the magistrate of Huoshan County, spoke up, "I think it is not advisable to divide our troops at this time. We should hold our ground and wait for the right moment to respond to any changes."

"You don't know anything!" Zhao Erhu cursed. "We're already outnumbered. If we don't beat them hard soon, what will we do when tens of thousands of them are blocking our way? They could drown us with a single spit from each of them! Brother, I still think we have to fight!"

"I think Second Brother makes sense. Big Brother, let me go first." Jiang Wuyang, standing in the far corner, was eager to try.

This is a makeshift team. Because they've never fought a major battle, they don't yet have enough capable staff officers. Those who fought bandits before, although they commanded thousands, still lack the ability to handle this situation. Especially since they are now the weaker party, and a weaker force fighting a stronger one is not easy to deal with; simply defending against it is a challenge.

Unfortunately, Wang Yan has never liked playing defense.

"Erhu, I'm giving you a task. If you succeed, we'll win a great victory; if you fail, many brothers will die in vain. You..."

"Big brother, just tell me, I can definitely do it!"

"Good!" Wang Yan praised. "I'll give you a musketeer squad and another 800 infantrymen, making a total of 1,000 men. Cross the Dabie Mountains, take the back roads, and head straight for Anqing. After firing a few shots there, march along the foot of the mountains towards Shucheng, fighting your way back and cutting off their supply lines. If you can't win, then retreat into the mountains and come out to fight again when you have the chance."

"Yes! Brother, don't worry, even if I die..."

“I just don’t want so many brothers to die. If there were someone else who could hold things up, I would have stayed here to take charge. Otherwise, I would have gone myself. Don’t hold out. You know our muskets are much better and faster than theirs. We need to kite and fight, don’t be foolish and engage in close combat. As long as we’re alive, we can always rebuild.”

Wang Yan waved his hand, "Alright, go and select the people. Make sure the communication doesn't get cut off; send someone to relay messages every day. That way, I can make decisions based on the situation on your end."

"Then I'm off, big brother!"

"Take care of yourself!"

"Everyone else, just do your own thing. The main thing is for the scouts to do their scouting. Our fortifications are all finished, so defense is not a problem. As for when to give them a good beating, we'll only know when the fighting starts."

Wang Yan waved his hand to dismiss the crowd, preventing them from gathering together and creating further anxiety.

Jiang Wuyang said, "Big brother, I can really do things now."

"You won't be able to avoid it later, so what's the rush? Once the fighting starts, you can fire a few shots and that's it. Go practice your skills; just talking won't do any good."

Although the Heavenly Kingdom was composed of peasant armies, they had gained considerable experience after three years of fighting. Furthermore, the Heavenly King's status as the second son of God and the younger brother of Jesus was not without merit; perhaps at this time, members of the church were debating scriptures with him in Nanjing.

Furthermore, foreign powers were dissatisfied with the Qing Dynasty at this time, leading some foreigners to support the Taiping Rebellion. This is part of the background to the Second Opium War; the Anglo-French allied forces burned down the Old Summer Palace here, and Emperor Xianfeng died at the Summer Palace in Chengde, also in this context…

Therefore, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's weapons and equipment are quite good, and it can even be said that they are more advanced than the Qing Dynasty's firearms. These are all factors that affect the course of the war.

Coincidentally, Wang Yan's weapons were slightly more advanced than theirs, which was also a factor affecting the course of the war.

The lead wasn't significant, only about forty years...

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