Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"Hurry up, everyone, dig properly!"

"This is to save your lives. Anyone who doesn't take it seriously will get a beating!"

Hao Yaoqi rode on his horse, calling out back and forth.

After several days of fighting, he, a cavalry squad leader, has been promoted to company commander.

Moreover, because they were cavalrymen under the command of Tami Hide, their status was comparable to that of an ordinary battalion commander.

At this time, he served as the supervisor of the first independent battalion in Liaonan Town, overseeing the soldiers in digging trenches and burying barricades.

There were also landmines in front of the chevaux-de-frise to stop cavalry charges.

After nearly collapsing in the previous battle, Yang Jiamo no longer believed in the courage of the new recruits, so he used all sorts of things, useful and useless, to embolden them.

As for whether these things would hinder the Ming army's pursuit, Yang Jiamo said that they were completely unnecessary.

If the Jurchens are defeated, their cavalry will naturally pursue them; there is no need to send infantry to charge as well.

Tian Jianxiu's guerrilla battalion was mostly composed of new recruits from Shaanxi, and their responsibility was to block the enemy.

Hao Yaoqi was ordered by Tian Jianxiu to inspect these arrangements.

Seeing that a soldier had dug a shallow hole, Hao Yaoqi lashed out with his whip:
"I haven't eaten!"

"Dig deeper!"

"If I see you sloppy again, I'll put you at the very front!"

The soldier shuddered and dared not be perfunctory any longer.

Because this pit was used to bury barricades, if the Jurchen cavalry charged over, the unstable barricades would mean their death.

The soldiers around him showed no sympathy for him; in fact, a sergeant major came over to reprimand and instruct him.

Hao Yaoqi shouted loudly for a while, inspected the fortifications here, and then rode his horse to inspect other places.

In his eyes, there were too many lazy people in the camp, which was why they hadn't made any great contributions in the last battle.

If they had played better, they wouldn't have been assigned to be in charge of Haizhou this time.

Who knows if the two red flags in the city will come out?

If they don't come out, they will end up like Chen Jisheng in the last battle, without gaining any merit.
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However, Tian Jianxiu, as the battalion commander, did not complain at this time.

He knew he hadn't performed well in the last battle, so he was assigned to the flank.

However, the flanks are not unimportant. Perhaps the two Red Flags will abandon Haizhou and break through the encirclement to attack.

So, following the staff officer's instructions, he dug defensive fortifications. At the same time, he connected them with the tunnels dug during the previous siege, making use of them as well.

He was generally satisfied with the soldiers' performance.

Although some people are habitually lazy, they need to be supervised by the task force.

However, most of the soldiers had already taken initiative, and the fortifications they dug met the standards set by the battalion staff.

Looking at the densely packed fortifications and tunnels before him, Tian Jianxiu patted his staff officer on the shoulder and exclaimed in admiration:
"Staff Officer Bian, your fortifications are really well arranged."

"If we had done the same thing in the last battle, the morale of the troops would not have been so low."

Bian Weizhong shook his head, disagreeing with Tian Jianxiu's opinion:
"It's only natural that the soldiers were afraid of the cavalry."

"The reason they are not so afraid now is because they are sure that the cavalry will not be able to get close."

"We won the last battle, so everything is fine."

"If we don't win, then..."

Bian Weizhong shook his head and said nothing more, but Tian Jianxiu could tell from his expression.

The reason we have such high morale now is because we won the last battle.

If they had lost the battle, the soldiers would never have been so enthusiastic. This analysis by the staff officer wasn't necessarily wrong. However, Tian Jianxiu felt somewhat disappointed and said unhappily:
"What's the point of saying all this? Just focus on fighting!"

"General Yang said that this time we must kill or capture at least 5,000 enemy soldiers and achieve double the merit."

"If the Jurchens dare to charge, we'll make sure they never get back, just like last time."

He loudly encouraged his generals, promising to issue land certificates on the spot after victory.

Ai Nan Ying then produced a stack of securities to show them that what he said was true.

The imperial court has prepared two or even three times the amount of land, just waiting for them to make a name for themselves.

The soldiers around him listened with great excitement, rubbing their fists together, determined to win this battle.

Upon seeing this scene, Bian Weizhong wished he could slap himself hard.

He knew that his advisor's temper had flared up again after he had just said those words.

Those words are suitable for analyzing the battle situation, but not for saying on the front lines.

No wonder Wu Xue assessed himself as being suitable as a strategist, but not as a commander.

Tian Jianxiu may not have studied martial arts or been a martial arts graduate, but he was born with the ability to make decisions, recruit soldiers, and inspire their courage.

As a battalion staff officer, I still have a long way to go before I can become a battalion commander.

However, he didn't know that Tian Jianxiu actually felt somewhat inferior when facing him.

Because Bian Weizhong, apart from never having fought a war and being fond of theoretical discussions, was extremely knowledgeable about map work, fortification layout, and so on.

Tian Jianxiu didn't understand any of this; he hadn't received much training at all.

Seeing Bian Weizhong made him feel incompetent as a commander. Perhaps, as the emperor said, he was more suited to be a guard.

Therefore, during this period, he diligently studied calligraphy under Ai Nanying, striving to pass the top-level standardized calligraphy exam and be transferred to a civilian military officer position.

He even wanted to become Ai Nan Ying's disciple.

However, Ai Nanying did not accept him as a disciple. Besides looking down on military generals, he also did so because the master-disciple relationship had been standardized recently, stipulating that masters and disciples should avoid each other.

If he takes Tian Jianxiu as his disciple, wouldn't one of them have to leave this place?

Therefore, he refused Tian Jianxiu's request on the grounds of the distinction between civil and military officials, but out of consideration for befriending this rising star in the army, he specially set aside time to teach him to read.

Today, Tian Jianxiu has learned many characters and can read military regulations.

Holding the military merit regulations issued by Yang Jiamo and the "Military Law Regulations on Joint Liability in Battle" drafted by Lu Xiangshan, Tian Jianxiu loudly addressed the soldiers:
"Winning a battle brings merit, while losing a battle brings responsibility."

"Although the military merit regulations state that soldiers' merits are still counted even if they lose a battle."

“But I, Tian, ​​tell you: if we lose the battle because of someone’s desertion, I will execute you all according to military law.”

"And all you squad leaders, listen up: if you can't manage your soldiers, you'll be held jointly responsible!"

He specifically called out several names, all of whom were soldiers who had deserted last time and nearly shook the army's formation. Tian Jianxiu said sternly:

"Your heads will be noted for now. If you commit this offense again, you will all be punished."

"Families were also to be enlisted as military households and exiled to maritime garrisons."

The thought of this punishment sent chills down their spines.

In their view, being forced into military service was practically equivalent to being enslaved.

In their preconceived notion, military households were oppressed by officers and suffered for generations, almost no different from serfs.

Not to mention the garrisons at sea, which meant going to islands to suffer from the wind and cold.

These officers, who had joined the Fuzhou Guard as officials of the time, did not want to be punished in this way.

They all loudly pledged that if any of their soldiers deserted, they would bring their heads upon themselves. (End of Chapter)