Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

After the logistics manager of Ximentang left.

The Imperial Guard soldiers could no longer sit still.

Are the benefits and perks so good after joining Simon's?

For a while,
Everyone was curious and eager to see it for themselves.

then,

Everyone left the military camp, wanting to see what was going on.

After all, there are only two opportunities to register and take the exam, so we can't miss them.

Cheng Huayuan nodded to his trusted subordinates and headed towards the recruitment area on the east side of the drill ground.

The area to the east of the drill ground was the training base of the Ximentang military camp.

at this time,

There were exactly ten training groups, with about three hundred people training together at the training base.

Some teams were practicing formations and standing postures, while others were practicing cross-country obstacle courses, and still others were practicing speed runs while carrying cannon barrels.

The atmosphere inside the training ground was very lively.

The training of the soldiers in Ximentang is based on a modern training system, and the supporting training facilities are also modern.

No, to be precise, it should be an enhanced version of modern training facilities.

Cheng Huayuan and several of his centurions circled the area a few times.

quickly,

They discovered a large fighting arena next to the training ground.

Just like a hero's arena, the arena was surrounded by ropes.

at this time,

There were two people on the stage, engaged in a fierce battle.

Below the arena, a large crowd stood watching the spectacle.

Bang, bang, bang—!
Neither of them possessed particularly high-level skills; they were merely at the level of "copper skin strength".

Although the two were fighting fiercely, both were wearing protective gear, and each had a boxing glove on their fist.

In less than two minutes.

One of them was knocked down by the other and lay on the ring, unable to get up.

The referees, who were maintaining order in the ring, quickly stepped forward, raised the winner's right hand, and announced his victory.

After the match ended, the winner went to the loser and helped him up.

At the referee's request, the two sides shook hands and hugged each other.

After the two men stepped down from the arena, another pair of soldiers stepped onto the arena to begin the next match.

The atmosphere around the arena was fantastic, with the soldiers watching cheering, shouting, and jeering.

what's going on?
Cheng Huayuan and the others were filled with doubts.

Why would you set up a fighting ring in the military and let people fight?

So they quickly asked the people next to them.

Only after asking did I learn that these were the rules of the arena set by Ximentang.

Any brother in the army who has a personal grudge can go up to the ring and fight.

No fighting is allowed in private; we must unite as one to ensure that we can entrust our backs to our brothers in war.

Any private fights will be considered a violation of military discipline and will be severely punished!
There are also rules in the ring: if you lose, you have to wash your opponent's socks for a month as punishment.

After listening, Cheng Huayuan muttered to himself, "Holy crap! There are such rules?"

Next,
Cheng Huayuan, accompanied by several trusted subordinates, arrived at the notice board displaying the assessment standards.

then,

The group stopped watching the martial arts duel and went to the notice board.

They were all soldiers of the Imperial Guard, somewhat educated, and literate.

After a while,

One of the centurions sighed, "How come the Ximen Hall's assessment includes tactics and strategy? This is really difficult!"

Next,
Everyone around turned to look at Cheng Huayuan and whispered, "Brother, what do you think of the assessment criteria? You've already broken through to the Great Perfection of Dark Force, so there shouldn't be any problems."

Cheng Huayuan nodded slightly and said confidently:

"Why not give it a try? If you haven't tried it, how do you know how difficult the assessment is? But the assessment content looks quite simple to me."

Another centurion nodded and said:

"Let's follow the rules first and receive some ideological education over the next few days, and then practice discipline and military posture."

"In a few days, we can register for the assessment."

"Actually, there's no need to worry too much. Even if we can't become soldiers in the Ximen Hall, we can sign up to be dockworkers for the Cao Gang."

“I heard that the dockworkers of the canal gang are recruiting a lot of people and the wages are very high. As long as we have strength, we won’t starve.”

Upon hearing this, Cheng Huayuan shook his head and said, "The Cao Gang is a force under Ximen Tang. Ever since Ximen Tang eliminated the forces of the Qing Gang and Taiping Hao, the Cao Gang is now the number one gang in the Great Qian Dynasty!"

"However, Ximen Tang holds shares in 70% of all the businesses of the Caobang, and the Caobang merely acts as its agent."

"This is why no other force can infiltrate the areas occupied by Ximentang."

"Everyone, don't overthink it. Let's focus on preparing these next few days. After all these years in the military, what else can we do besides serving?"

Upon hearing this, everyone else lowered their heads and remained silent.

indeed,

After serving in the military for so many years, what else can you do besides serving?

porter?
Impossible. Nobody would willingly become a porter.

-

A few days later.

All the Imperial Guards have finished their rest and recuperation.

They can apply to take the test, although they were told beforehand that they only have two chances to apply and should only apply when they are sure of their chances, so as not to waste the opportunity.

but,

Many Imperial Guard soldiers dismissed this with disdain.

They felt confident they could do it, so they all signed up.

Anyway, you have two chances. Even if you fail the test this time, there's always another chance, right?
Their eyes were fixed on the generous treatment offered to the soldiers of Ximentang, and their hearts were filled with anticipation.

Based on the current purchasing power of silver dollars, one could buy property in the surrounding areas of the capital within a year.

If you do well in Ximen Tang's army and become an officer, wouldn't that be even more lucrative?

Therefore,
Early on the third day, Cheng Huayuan led his trusted men to the drill ground of the military camp in the capital.

He took the lead in signing up for the Ximentang assessment, full of confidence.

The assessment of the new army soldiers by Ximentang was conducted over two days.

The assessment on the first day focused on the overall quality of the recruits.

The assessment consists of five basic items: strength, long-distance running, long jump, climbing, and throwing.

Each basic assessment item is further divided into various scoring standards, which are scored according to stars.

of course,

Some tests assess special skills and can be scored with extra stars.

If the total number of stars in the five basic assessments is below fifteen, it is considered unqualified.

If you achieve a five-star rating in two out of the five assessments, you possess special skills and can be directly promoted.

in addition,

If you can get more than 20 stars in total, you are considered excellent and will have the opportunity to participate in the assessment of junior officers.

have to say,

This star-based assessment is fair, just, and transparent.

Whether you are capable or not depends entirely on the final result of your assessment.

After the formal assessment began, many soldiers of the Imperial Guard found that the methods used in the Imperial Guard were not effective in the assessment of the Ximentang New Army.

No one accepted bribes, and no one was able to cheat.

All assessment items were conducted under the watchful eyes of the public.

Even the criteria for awarding stars are strict, and the evaluation is not conducted by one person, but by a group of people.

During the strength test, you must lift a 500-pound barbell overhead and hold it for three seconds to pass the test and receive a five-star rating.

If you can only lift a 300-pound barbell, you can only get a three-star rating.

The same applies to running assessments, which have precise time limits. This also applies to the long jump; if you step over the line, your score will not be counted.

All assessments are extremely rigorous, allowing no room for shortcuts.

When the Imperial Guard soldiers began their assessments, they discovered that joining the Ximen Hall and becoming a new soldier in the Ximen Hall's army was not so easy.

On the first day of the military training ground assessment, nearly 10,000 people were assessed.

The pass rate is only 60%.

Of the soldiers who achieved the "Excellent Twenty-Star" rating, only about 10%, roughly one thousand, were directly promoted to reserve soldiers in the Ximentang New Army. In fact...

The results of the assessment show that the overall quality of the Imperial Guards in the capital is far inferior to that of Ximen Tang, and even to the elite rebel troops under Li Ben in Hanzhong.

Because many of the rebels were江湖人士 (jianghu figures), and many of them practiced martial arts.

Besides the elite troops, many of the later recruits in the Imperial Guards of the capital were ordinary civilians.

Cheng Huayuan was a master of Iron Bones and Dark Strength, so these basic assessment items were naturally no problem for him.

He got a total of 25 stars, a perfect score, and advanced directly.

Therefore,
He was qualified to participate in the junior officer assessment the following day.

The other centurions who followed him were also martial artists, so participating in these assessments was naturally easy for them.

but,

Some of his former officers, whose martial arts skills were not high, had only passed the reserve soldier assessment and were not qualified to participate in the officer assessment.

Therefore,
During dinner that evening, those who were not qualified to participate in the Ximen Hall officer assessment were full of complaints and had various grievances about the assessment.

Several centurions and commanders also lacked confidence in facing the officer assessment the next day.

Perhaps only Cheng Huayuan was completely unconcerned about the officer assessment the next day.

He passed the test with a perfect score today, so he was naturally full of confidence.

but,

After observing for the past few days, Cheng Huayuan was very unhappy with the various military regulations of Ximen Hall.

There's too little freedom; military regulations are too strict.

However, Cheng Huayuan has a very calm personality, and even if he has something on his mind, he will not easily reveal it.

of course,

Although he felt that Ximentang's military regulations were very strict, he did not object to them.

As an officer, he naturally understood that any powerful army must have very strict military regulations.

The Ximen Hall is hailed as the number one army in the Great Qian Dynasty, and this reputation is well-deserved.

not to mention,
He knew Ximentang's battle record very well.

Putting everything else aside, just take the attack on the capital. Xi Mentang's army defeated Li Feihu's 200,000 elite troops in less than a day, causing them to flee in disarray.

Such terrifying combat power shocked everyone in the Imperial Guard.

Hong Chaoge led the Imperial Guards out of the capital, fearing retribution, and sought refuge with Li Zicheng, the Prince of Shu in western Sichuan, because he was intimidated by Ximen Tang's fighting prowess.

The assessment continued on the second day.

The first item in the assessment for junior officers stumped all those who were to advance.

Reading and writing skills test your memory!

The soldiers being tested were required to quickly read a 300-word article.

Next, memorize it within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and then write it down from memory.

Since he was a grassroots commander, Chen Jie set up assessment criteria that required a high level of memory.

First and foremost, one must improve their literacy skills and develop a strong comprehension ability.

In that case, the mission will be accomplished!
Once a military order is issued, the officer's ability to understand it can determine the course of the war.

This memory test is specifically designed for junior officers.

Many soldiers who were assigned to grassroots command positions were immediately stopped.

Not many people can get high scores in this project.

In other words, in addition to military force, junior officers must be educated.

Cheng Huayuan was able to hold an important position in the Imperial Guard because he was quite capable.

He passed the assessment with ease, and once again got a perfect score.

original,

He came from a well-off family when he was very young.

The family originally raised him with the hope that he would participate in the imperial examination and obtain official rank.

but,

Cheng Huayuan loved martial arts from a young age and had no interest in the imperial examinations.

However, in order to pass the family's assessment, he still received a rigorous education and his cultural level was not low.

This meant that after joining the Imperial Guard, he not only possessed exceptional martial arts skills but also extraordinary knowledge.

To be honest, Cheng Huayuan's rise to the rank of commander of a thousand men and his eventual appointment as commander-in-chief in the Imperial Guard, without any connections within the force, was not due to luck.

His cultural level and martial arts skills were outstanding among the Imperial Guards.

It was precisely because of these foundations that Cheng Huayuan passed the test with ease, achieving full marks in both tests, which naturally attracted the attention of the examiners.

His other commanders, though skilled in martial arts, failed the assessment on the second day.

of course,

It is not that a low level of education precludes one from serving as a junior commander.

Ximen Hall has specialized cultural courses, and as long as you are willing to study, there will be assessments for junior officers every three months.

The second part of the assessment was a test of the Navy's special skills.

This is a project prepared for the two fleets of the Westminster, for the selection of naval personnel.

The project is simple. First, it tests your balance and the ability to avoid seasickness on a rocking boat. Then, it tests your swimming skills.

As long as you can pass the swimming test, you will have the opportunity to become a naval soldier or junior officer.

and,

The treatment of Ximen Tang in the Navy was twice as good as that in the Army.

Only a small fraction of the Imperial Guard soldiers passed the Navy's examinations.

One of Cheng Huayuan's centurions, who had been ready to give up, unexpectedly found himself recruited by the navy and easily became a junior commander.

The third test was an obstacle course.

This is a project to select elite personnel for the Ximentang Special Operations Regiment.

Decathlon!

Within a limited time, participants must navigate obstacles such as a log bridge, a ramp, a suspension bridge, a wire mesh, a high wall, and a fire ring.

Unlike the modern decathlon, the decathlon assessment set up by Simontang has increased the difficulty.

If one's martial arts skills haven't broken through to the Ming Jin level, there's almost no chance of passing the decathlon.

After a series of selections, only a small number of Imperial Guard soldiers were able to pass the final assessment.

Cheng Huayuan's assessment criteria were astonishing.

Except for not participating in the Navy's selection and assessment, he got full marks in almost every assessment.

in fact,

Cheng Huayuan possessed a unique skill that earned him an award within the Imperial Guard: the ability to shoot an arrow through a willow leaf from a hundred paces!
That's right,

His archery was renowned, capable of hitting three swallows in mid-air with a single bow and three arrows.

Unfortunately, archery was not included in the assessment program for Ximen Hall.

The warfare tactics employed by Ximentang have become modernized, utilizing sniper rifles, assault rifles, heavy machine guns, artillery, and more.

Bows and arrows are obsolete!

After two days of assessment, Cheng Huayuan was fortunate enough to become a junior commander in the Ximentang New Army—a squad leader!
Cheng Huayuan was initially very uncomfortable.

He was, after all, the commander of the Imperial Guard, a high-ranking officer.

Besides, I got full marks in all the assessments, so how come I only became a class monitor?
However, he quickly came to terms with it.

There was no discrimination among all the participants; it was all based on ability, not seniority.

Being a class monitor is just the beginning, a temporary position!

The training lasts for six months, with monthly assessments and promotions based on the results.

and,

The squad leader's pay was three silver dollars a month.

He was the first member of the Imperial Guard to be promoted to squad leader after a direct assessment.

Seeing the final result, Cheng Huayuan felt a little better and was secretly pleased with himself.

Next,
Ximentang provided him with the equipment of a reserve squad leader.

Bulletproof vests, alloy sabers, tactical belts, helmets, etc.

The firearms were wartime equipment, and based on his assessment results, he was qualified to use a replica AK47 assault rifle.

All soldiers and junior officers who pass the assessment receive three booklets.

"Ximentang Military Discipline", "On Modern Warfare", and "Artillery Operation Standards"!
As a reserve squad leader, you need to quickly learn the skills yourself and then teach them to the soldiers under your command.

After reading through the contents of the three booklets, Cheng Huayuan was filled with amazement.

for the rest of the time,

The Imperial Guard soldiers and junior officers recruited by Ximen Hall have begun their most rigorous training! (End of Chapter)