The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 82 Military Training
In the following period of time, Mao Yuanyi continued to polish the barrel of his red cannon, while Lei Jiangtou and Yan Jiangtou each led a team of craftsmen to compete to improve the flintlock reeds.

The craftsmen were so enthusiastic that they worked overtime to develop the flintlock rifle, fearing that others would beat them to the punch. They won the 500 taels prize. On several occasions, Liu Zhaosun would return from his evening patrols and hear the sound of clanging and hammering coming from the workshop in the distance.

Not only Mao Yuanyi and his men, but General Liu was also very busy.

He got up every day, had breakfast, and went to the east of the city to train new recruits.

Hundreds of tents were set up on the open space in the east of the city, densely packed together.

Among the 600 newly recruited trackers, there were 520 young and strong men, more than 30 strong women, and more than 40 children.

They all lived in tents for the time being, with an average of five or six people in one tent. Those who brought families lived in one tent with their entire family.

Liu Zhaosun asked them to live in the east of the city for a while, and then distributed land to them.

In Kaiyuan, if you want to get land, you have to contribute to the collective, either by going out to fight or conduct reconnaissance, or by farming and doing business at home.

Kaiyuan is not qualified to support idle people now. Of course, those who bring capital to invest can also be considered.

A thousand trackers formed a training camp for new recruits.

Liu Zhaosun still conducted strict training for these young and strong men according to the training standards set previously.

Before the formal training, these trackers had rested for ten days, eating rice and steamed buns every day and one meal of meat a day. With sufficient nutrition supply, their physical strength was quickly restored.

Ten days later, the chief instructor Ma Shiying told everyone:

Anyone who failed to meet the training requirements set by General Liu within the allotted time, or who failed to persevere, would be immediately expelled from Kaiyuan City and left to fend for themselves. Those with families would have their entire families expelled from Kaiyuan City.

The training standards set by General Liu were quite harsh, requiring the trackers to bleed and sweat and even lose a lot of skin.

If a soldier cannot or is unwilling to protect the interests of himself and his family, how can we believe that he can protect the interests of Kaiyuan in the future?

No, those who can persist will only be ruthlessly eliminated and wait for the fate of destruction.

Liu Zhaosun insisted on training with the soldiers. Every two days, he would come to the big training ground and spend an hour running exercises, doing formation training, push-ups and spear exercises with the recruits.

All new recruits will undergo drills every three days, with each drill lasting three hours and divided into military posture, formations, physical fitness, and spear thrusts.

Although this kind of training is old-fashioned, just like the insistence of some armies in later generations on folding blankets, it trains the soldiers' sense of discipline and obedience.

The most profound impression left on him by the Ming army he encountered since traveling through time was that they had no military discipline and were a mess.

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Military posture and formations are not difficult. Except for a few soldiers who need repeated corrections, most people can complete them smoothly after training.

The difficult part is the spear thrust, which is a great test of the soldiers' physical strength and endurance.

The recruits needed to hold a 17-foot-long spear, maintain a battle formation, and charge forward with all their might. At the end of the day, after charging two or three thousand times, everyone's arms had lost all feeling.

Ordinary people simply cannot withstand such ultra-high-intensity training.

If you want to stay, you have to continue the next day, even if your arms hurt so much that you can't lift them.

Fortunately, the trackers had been pulling the oars all year round, and their hands were covered with a thick layer of calluses. Even so, many people's palms were rubbed by the gun body, and the blood dyed the white gun barrel dark red like red paint.

Liu Zhaosun looked at the soldiers with their hands worn out and encouraged them to persevere.

Keep going! Make thrusting a muscle memory! Even in your dreams, thrust!

Otherwise, you will be expelled from Kaiyuan!
Liu Zhaosun stood on the platform in the drill field and shouted loudly to the new recruits who were training:

"Remember this, everyone! Kaiyuan's soldiers are fearless and unstoppable! Kaiyuan's soldiers are invincible! The Tartars suffered a loss here last time, and they won't give up! They're coming again soon. If you don't train hard now, when the Tartars come, you won't be able to pierce your spears, draw your bows, or ride your horses! How will you protect yourselves and the people? If you can't train well, what use is there in keeping you here?"

After three days, some people could not hold on any longer and were eliminated. Pei Dahu brought the pacification soldiers and drove them out of Kaiyuan City in front of all the new recruits, ignoring the boatmen's pleading.

Everyone knew that what awaited these people were attacks from wild beasts and the Jiannu.

Those who stayed behind did not dare to relax at all. From military posture to push-ups to spear thrusts, they completed every movement meticulously. No matter how hard or tiring it was, no one dared to quit.

They once had nothing, but it was the general who gave them everything and allowed them to live like human beings.

No one wants to go back to the previous situation, to pull the boat in Tianjin and be treated as worse than pigs and dogs by dignitaries.

Liu Zhaosun led the trackers in training in the morning, and the training in the afternoon was handed over to Deng Changxiong and Wang Erhu.

Although the army is important, it is not everything, and he still has a lot of things to do.

Kaiyuan was a border town of medium size. Excluding the garrison, the permanent population was about 40,000, which was considered a large scale in the Ming Dynasty.

When there are more people, things become complicated.

In addition to training the army, there are also various tedious matters that need to be handled by General Liu for his decision.

From the formulation and collection of commercial taxes to street fights.

Fortunately, Song Yingxing and Yuan Chonghuan are here now and can help share a lot of trivial matters.

Despite this, Liu Zhaosun was still so busy that he had almost no time to eat.

Most of the time, he stayed in the recruit camp at noon, and only went home occasionally to have lunch with Yang Qing'er and Jin Yuji.

Yang Qing'er arranged for the fat girl to prepare the dishes that her husband liked. The family of three gathered around the table, eating and playing at the same time. It was a rare happy moment.

In the afternoon, Liu Zhaosun would listen to reports from some subordinates, mainly about the work of the Intelligence Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce.

As the Later Jin Dynasty continued to plant spies in Kaiyuan City, Baoyi and Zhenyi often mixed in with the merchant team to spy on Kaiyuan's military intelligence, set fire and poison in the city. However, their methods were crude and there was no one to support them in the city, so they were often quickly discovered by the Intelligence Department.

After a brief interrogation, the Intelligence Department cut off the head of the captured spy and hung it at the north gate for public display.

These days, the heads of the Intelligence Department and the Commerce Department are all on edge.

Every night, Liu Zhaosun would inspect the combat camp, which was his most elite force. These elite troops had not fought in a war for a long time.

Daily training could not vent their energy, and as the weather gradually got warmer, soldiers would often fight. The pacification officers and captains would carry military sticks and shuttle through the military camps at night, and beat up any fighting soldiers they encountered.

Only when Liu Zhaosun appears will everyone calm down. As the backbone of this elite force, Liu Zhaosun's status in the soldiers' minds is equivalent to that of a god.

When inspecting the camp, Liu Zhaosun would often talk to flag captains and officers at the level of generals to ask them about the latest developments in the camp.

The commander-in-chief spoke to the soldiers calmly and powerfully. He would not yell at them, and he would often consider some military technical details from the soldiers' perspective.

In addition, Liu Zhaosun would also pay attention to those soldiers who fought bravely. Every time before leaving, he would pat the soldiers on the shoulders and remind them to guard against arrogance and laziness and train well.

Because soon an even more brutal war will begin.

"Are many more of our brothers going to die?" a young Zhejiang soldier couldn't help but ask. The flag captain and the general beside him glared at the soldier fiercely. Liu Zhaosun smiled and said:

"Yes, this time, many Jiannu will die. Are you ready to avenge General Deng?"

Liu Zhaosun plans to arrange training officers at the grassroots level of the army, who will do more work than the previous training officers who simply incited people.

In addition to boosting morale and taking care of new recruits, we must also care about the soldiers' daily lives, pay attention to their psychological changes, and promptly control any unusual voices that may arise in the army.

To establish such an organization, we need a large number of young people who can write and think. If they are too old, they are not suitable to stay in the military camp.

Unfortunately, such conditions are not yet available. He has contacted Mao Yuanyi and Song Yingxing several times, hoping to recruit some private school teachers from Shaoxing and Nanchang to Liaodong with a large sum of money.

When Liu Zhaosun was in the capital, he heard people say that the area around Nanchang was densely populated and had a small land area, but it was a place with a flourishing literary culture, and there were many scholars who could not even pass the provincial examinations.

These scholars often came from middle-class backgrounds. After their families fell into poverty, they did not know how to farm and had no business skills. Therefore, they lived in poverty and had to teach in private schools to barely make ends meet and continue to participate in the imperial examinations.

Liu Zhaosun asked the two men to take some time to write a letter and ask local relatives and friends to introduce some such scholars to them. He promised to give them a salary (remuneration for teachers) three times the local standard.

Song Yingxing was busy with the improvement of flintlock muskets and many civil affairs, even busier than Liu Zhaosun, so naturally he had no time to introduce a private school teacher to General Liu.

When Qiao Yiqi heard that they were going to recruit students from a private school in Shaoxing, he thought that this warrior had finally come to his senses and realized the role of scholars and that Confucianism should be promoted. He immediately wrote several letters and handed them over to Tang Ma to be sent to Jiangnan.

"General Liu, when Emperor Taizu founded the country, he stated that education was paramount in governing the nation. He also ordered the establishment of private schools throughout the country, recruiting teachers to teach the common people. I am very pleased that you can recruit Xibin (private school teachers) to educate the barbarians outside the Great Wall. Don't worry, I will fully support you! If you don't have enough money, feel free to ask me for a loan!"

"By the way, General Liu, when are you going to pay back the 13,000 taels of silver you borrowed?"

Liu Zhaosun smiled at Qiao Yiqi. He couldn't say that he wanted to train a large number of instructors to help him gain more thorough control over the army.

He knew that once he said anything to Qiao Yiqi, it would spread to everyone in a few days as long as that person wanted to hear it.

Fortunately, this big mouth is open-minded and kind-hearted. Since Hunjiang, he has always taken good care of Liu Zhaosun, lending him money and being as steady as a mountain, and he has no ill intentions.

Liu Zhaosun was no longer surprised by his outspokenness. He knew that the growing environment of a family of officials in Jiangnan was not what he could imagine.

Later on, Liu Zhaosun and Qiao Yiqi tried their best not to bring up confidential matters when they chatted.

By the time they finished their work for the day, it was already dark. Jin Yu Ji lit a lantern in front to illuminate the way. Under the protection of his personal guards, General Liu was finally able to return to the General's Mansion and his home.

After returning home, Yang Qing'er became her husband's personal secretary.

Yang Qing'er would help her husband arrange the schedule for tomorrow, detailing who to meet every half hour and what decisions to make. The schedule was arranged perfectly to prevent her husband from missing anything the next day.

Although Liu Zhaosun was energetic, he sometimes felt powerless and would forget some things. He could not be like Zhu Yuanzhang, who had everything in his hands and controlled every detail, even asking about what clothes the people wore.

Yang Qing'er has been following her father in battles since she was a child, going in and out of camps. She is quite familiar with military affairs, and this experience has also cultivated her clear logical thinking.

Therefore, she became Liu Zhaosun's indispensable and virtuous wife.

Jin Yu Ji was lacking in this aspect. She was very good at fighting and killing in her daily life, but she would feel sleepy when reading the classics, history books, and collections of literature.

She likes to read vernacular novels, such as "Water Margin" and "Journey to the West", and finds it difficult to read other books.

Recently, I was reading Tang Dynasty legends and happened to read "The Guest with the Curly Beard". Only then did I understand what Xiong Tingbi meant by "Hong Fu's night escape".

I was secretly happy.

In the evening, while the general's wife was writing and drawing to help her husband deal with the official correspondence, Jin Yuji leaned back in the armchair, wiping the plum blossom dagger and staring blankly at the lady of the imperial court.

It was drizzling in northern Liaoning in June, and it was raining outside the window again. She thought of her homeland thousands of miles away, and the last time she passed by her brother in the capital, and looked at Liu Zhaosun who was still busy.

"Sir, how long can I accompany you?"

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While the artisans within the city worked tirelessly, the farmers outside were also sweating profusely, hoeing the fields, applying fertilizer, and irrigating. Like the artisans, the Liao people who were allocated land wished they could spend all day working in the fields, just to ensure that the crops they tended would mature and be harvested sooner.

The wild wolf outside the fence is still waiting for the opportunity, ready to pounce and bite at any time.

Qin Jianxun, the commander of the mountain warfare battalion, sent out eighty members to scout in the mountains around Kaiyuan and drive out the scattered Houjin Yebushou hiding in the mountains.

This Kaiyuan mountain warfare battalion, composed of wolf soldiers, white-spear soldiers and a small number of Zhejiang soldiers, is the elite of the entire army.

The individual combat capabilities of the team members are extremely strong, and their fighting will far exceeds that of ordinary Ming troops. They often do not lose when fighting against the same number of Jiannu white-armored soldiers.

Under the threat of this group of soldiers, the Yebushou of the Later Jin Dynasty who were hiding in the mountains and forests around Kaiyuan retreated northward.

The Intelligence Department successively sent a number of undercover agents to Shenyang, Liaoyang, the capital and Seoul, North Korea.

These undercover agents regularly transmit information to Kaiyuan. Currently, due to the lack of staff and strength of the Intelligence Department, the dissemination of intelligence mainly relies on businessmen traveling back and forth between various places.

The kind of spy drama plots with secret codes and street signs don't exist in the real world; they're just artistic exaggerations. In this era, intelligence transmission was essentially carried out by merchants. Whether it was the later Eight Great Merchants of Shanxi or the current Kaiyuan merchants, many of them were double agents or even multi-agents, and acquaintances knew each other intimately.

For example, a ginseng dealer who travels back and forth between Seoul and the capital can convey intelligence to Korea this month and military intelligence to Ming Dynasty next month, as long as someone gives him money.

Liu Zhaosun was planning to take some time to give the Intelligence Department some simple reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance training, but unfortunately, he was never available.

Fortunately, the current work of the Intelligence Department is mainly in Kaiyuan City, and business has fully recovered. Liu Zhaosun arranged several local Liao people in the Intelligence Department to serve as shopkeepers of southern goods stores.

The twelve southern goods stores were doing a booming business, bringing in forty or fifty taels of silver every day. Of course, profit was only a secondary function of these stores; their most important role was to collect intelligence.

The special forces members who pretended to be shopkeepers quickly detected some important intelligence information.

After Nurhaci annexed Haixi, he did not immediately expand to Liaoshen and Shenyang, but only sent a large number of scouts to investigate the movements of Liaozhen. This unusual behavior attracted the attention of Liu Zhaosun, who asked the Intelligence Department to strengthen the coordination with the Mountain Warfare Battalion.
The Intelligence Department learned from a Haixi fur trader that when Jirgalang defeated the Haixi Yehe, a thousand-man Yehe cavalry broke out of the Later Jin encirclement and fled south. The Later Jin cavalry searched for several days without success, and the Later Jin suspected that the Yehe had fled to Korea.

Liu Zhaosun knew that this was an opportunity given to him by God, and God sent him cavalry.

He sent Pei Dahu and others to guard the main road from Kaiyuan to Mongolia for several days to see if they could find any loopholes.

Can't seem to.

After more than ten days, Liu Zhaosun lost his patience and started to get busy with other things.

Soon, he discovered a serious problem.

What Kaiyuan lacks most at present, apart from cavalry, is the copper and iron ore needed to produce flintlock rifles and red cannons.

There is no shortage of food, soldiers, or silver, but without ore, all research is just castles in the air and cannot be transformed into results, so it is meaningless.

Liu Zhaosun invited Xu Xiake to come and entrust the arduous task of mineral exploration to this remarkable man.

Liu Zhaosun promised Xu Xiake that as long as he helped him find the copper and iron mines and finished this job, he would let him go and explore the ancient tombs of the Dongxia Kingdom, and even send a mountain warfare battalion to assist Mr. Xu in going to the tomb.

Xu Xiake listened and said calmly:
"General Liu, please rest assured. I'm not a tomb raider and I won't go into graves. On my way to Liaodong this time, I saw a large mine near Kaiyuan!"

(End of this chapter)