The prince is more stable

Chapter 406

Enter the Dragon Guard Camp.

There was also laughter in the camp. Zhao Xiaoqian deliberately rode his horse around the camp and found that the sentries were not absent and were still holding their posts in the snow and ice. Only then did he feel relieved.

Tonight is New Year's Eve, and the soldiers should naturally relax. They cannot leave the camp during this special time, otherwise the prostitutes in the brothels in Zhending City will suffer.

Zhao Xiaoqian's military management style has never been strict. The soldiers under his command can be said to have the most lax military discipline among all the armies of the Song Dynasty, but he can confidently say that the soldiers under his command have the strongest combat effectiveness.

On weekdays, you can play when you should play and have fun when you should have fun.

But on the battlefield, anyone who does not fight with his life, anyone who dares to fear the enemy and fear fighting, will be subject to military law on the battlefield.

Fortunately, the Dragon Guard Battalion has never let Zhao Xiaoqian down.

In addition to being equipped with the most advanced firearms in the world, the Dragon Guard Battalion also had a strong foundation. They were the elite among the elite of the entire Song Dynasty's imperial guards, and were worthy of being one of the top four armies guarding the imperial capital.

After entering the camp and the commander's tent, Zhao Xiaoqian immediately ordered the drums to be beaten to gather the generals.

After three drum beats, all the generals had arrived, and the originally spacious tent seemed a little crowded.

Zhao Xiaoqian sat in the first seat with a thick piece of black bear skin under his butt. A red charcoal fire was burning in the middle of the tent, and everyone in the room was looking at him.

Zhao Xiaoqian twisted his butt uncomfortably and touched his chin. He always felt like a mountain eagle. These bad guys were waiting for him to share the gold and silver.

Maybe it was the black bear skin under his butt that gave him the illusion of being a villain. What kind of good person would have a black bear skin under their butt? Do you understand animal protection?

Seeing the commander thrashing about like he had hemorrhoids, Zhong Jianzhong said smugly, "Is your Highness sitting comfortably? This black bear skin was brought here by a captain of the Dragon Guard Battalion and his comrades."

"In a cave not far away, a black bear was hibernating in its den. One of our comrades thrust a rifle into the bear's mouth, and with a bang, the bear was dead. Its fur was perfectly intact, not a single scratch was made. I will have it nitrated and present it to the Duke."

Zhao Xiaoqian said with a strange expression, "You said 'a gun stuck in a black bear's mouth', is this gun... a real gun?"

Zhong Jianzhong was stunned: "...are there any non-legitimate guns?"

Zhao Xiaoqian rubbed his face: "Okay, I'm not serious..."

Then he sighed and muttered, "He was hibernating peacefully in his nest, doing nothing wrong to anyone, yet he got shot for no apparent reason... He must have been destined to die. His mother must not have consulted a Taoist priest to read his fortune when he was born. How irresponsible."

Inside the commander's tent, the generals looked at Zhao Xiaoqian in confusion, muttering to himself and saying strange things whose meaning was unclear.

Zhao Xiaoqian twisted his butt a few more times and laughed.

"You know what, this skin is quite warm and quite interesting. The only regret is that I didn't kill this bear myself. What a pity..." Zhao Xiaoqian smacked his lips regretfully.

At this time, a commander stepped forward from the tent and said quickly, "It was clearly the Duke who struck him personally. We, the officers and soldiers of the Dragon Guard Battalion, all saw it with our own eyes."

The rest of the generals were stunned and quickly looked at the commander who spoke, their eyes full of contempt and envy.

Zhong Jianzhong gritted his teeth with a grim expression.

You son of a bitch, are you really qualified to flatter me? How come you reacted so quickly? Why didn't I think of it?

Zhong Jianzhong quickly replied, "That's right, the Duke struck it himself. Everyone in the Dragon Guards witnessed it. When they return to Bianjing in triumph, the soldiers will surely beat drums and gongs to cheer for the Duke."

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed, pointed at the commander, and asked, "What's your name?"

The commander was overjoyed and bowed, saying, "I am General Zhang Rong, the commander of the Yongzi Battalion of the Dragon Guard Battalion."

Zhao Xiaoqian pointed at him and said to Zhong Jianzhong with a smile, "This guy has a future!"

Zhong Jianzhong forced a smile, and when Zhao Xiaoqian turned his head to look elsewhere, he made a vicious and obscene gesture towards the military commander named Zhang Rong, which was probably the same as the middle finger in later generations.

"By the way, where is the bear paw?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked suddenly.

Zhong Jianzhong was stunned.

The Duke is so active that I can hardly keep up with him.

Seeing Zhong Jianzhong stunned, Zhao Xiaoqian said unhappily, "What's wrong with being hard of hearing at such an old age? Let me ask you, where's the bear's paw?"

Zhong Jianzhong immediately realized what was happening and said, "After the black bear was skinned, the meat was sent to the army cooks..."

As he spoke, Zhong Jianzhong hurriedly shouted outside the general's tent, "Come here, tell the cook to leave the four bear paws for the Duke!"

Zhao Xiaoqian added, "Only the two front paws will suffice..." Then, to the bewildered generals in the tent, Zhao Xiaoqian explained, "When a bear hibernates, its two hind paws sit under its buttocks. They are smelly and inedible. However, it often licks its front paws with its tongue. The texture of the meat is completely different from that of the hind paws, so when eating bear paws, the front paws are the best."

The generals suddenly understood and looked educated.

Useless knowledge has increased again.

Zhao Xiaoqian was in a very good mood at the moment. He didn't expect that he would get such a big bargain when he entered the camp today. Bear paw, he had only heard of it in his previous life but had never seen it, but he could actually eat it in this life. If he had entered the camp a day later, the bear paw would probably have been ruined by the cook.

"Tonight is New Year's Eve. Pass the order down that all soldiers will have extra meals, but more sentries must be posted. Also, drinking is not allowed to be excessive. Don't force me to use military law on New Year's Day." Zhao Xiaoqian ordered.

Zhong Jianzhong clasped his fists and accepted the order.

Zhao Xiaoqian's mind was full of bear paws at the moment, and he waved his hand absentmindedly.

"What are all these people doing in my tent? Are you planning to share my bear paws? Let's go, there aren't enough bear paws..."

Zhong Jianzhong's heart skipped a beat. He sighed and said cautiously, "Lord, it was you who ordered the drums to be beaten and the troops mustered just now. Do you... have any other orders?"

Zhao Xiaoqian looked up suddenly. "Oh, right? It seems like there's something important going on."

Seeing Zhao Xiaoqian's dazed look, Zhong Jianzhong couldn't help but sigh.

This Dragon Guard Battalion has to disband without me...

Then Zhao Xiaoqian finally remembered the important matter and said, "Oh right, the spies reported that 40,000 Liao troops will arrive in ten days. Including the 10,000 Liao troops outside the northern border of Zhending Prefecture, the total enemy force is 50,000."

"Life needs a sense of ceremony. The Liao army has come from afar, so we must arrange a welcoming ceremony."

Zhao Xiaoqian pondered, tapping the table in front of him absentmindedly, and slowly said, "Before the 40,000 Liao troops arrive at Zhending Prefecture, the Dragon Guard Battalion will first annihilate the 10,000 Liao troops outside the border! The time is set for three days from now."

The generals in the tent were immediately excited. More than 20 generals, both large and small, stood up at the same time, clasped their fists and shouted, "I invite you to fight!"

After speaking in unison, all the generals turned around with unfriendly expressions and glared at their comrades.

This is not only a request for battle, but also a fight for military merit. It concerns personal future, and no one is willing to give it up.

The battle has not yet begun, but an infighting is about to break out in the commander's tent.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked around and immediately pointed at Zhe Keshi and said, "Let General Zhe lead this battle."

There was a moment of silence in the tent. The generals seemed to be hesitant to speak and looked at Zhe Keshi with dissatisfaction.

Zhe Keshi was surprised and happy. He was transferred from the Northwest Army to the Dragon Guard Battalion. Such a good thing actually happened to him?

Is it a gift from nature?

Zhe Keshishi immediately clasped his fists and said excitedly, "Thank you, Lord. I will live up to your orders and wipe out all the Liao bandits!"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled at the generals and said, "General Zhe is a guest from afar. He has no relatives or friends in the Dragon Guard Camp. This time, you should give him some ground and allow him to pay a token of his loyalty. In the future, we will be family..."

Zhe Keshi's smile gradually froze. What nonsense is this? We are killing the enemy to serve our country. What does this have to do with a letter of surrender?

Seeing that the commander had personally appointed the generals, everyone naturally did not dare to object and could only agree with a hum.

Afterwards, Zhao Xiaoqian talked with Zhong Jianzhong about the stock of food, war horses, military equipment, and gunpowder and bullets.

The weapons and war horses were brought from Bian Jing, but the problem was the food and fodder, as the army only had enough for about half a month.

War is actually a battle of economy and logistics, and the issue of food and fodder is definitely a big deal.

Zhao Xiaoqian immediately wrote letters to the prefects of Taiyuan Prefecture, Xingzhou, Xiangzhou and other places in the name of the commander-in-chief of the Western Hebei Route, allocating grain and grass from the official warehouses in various places in the Western Hebei Route and sending them to Zhending Prefecture.

After everything was discussed, the generals remained in the commander's tent, but Zhao Xiaoqian looked around at everyone in silence.

The atmosphere is a bit dry...

After a long while, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but say, "Why don't you leave? Are you still thinking about my bear paw? Give up. This thing can't be shared at all. Let's go!"

"Everyone, return to your tents, restrain your officers, and while you celebrate the New Year joyfully, no one is allowed to violate military law. Don't force me to whip you on such a happy day."

(End of this chapter)