Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 173 Army Expansion
"Expand the army!"

After returning to the city of Qi, Liu Daogui's first order was to expand the military force.

Dai Qizhi was extremely cunning. Knowing that the city of Qi was completely under control, he went to Changliu County.

But as long as he was in Lanling, he could not avoid the ubiquitous eyes and ears. However, this guy was cautious. After arriving in Changliu, he kept a low profile. Every day he would take his followers hunting and traveling around.

Pretending to be a dandy young man.

He played his own game while Liu Daogui was busy with his own things.

Now that they have occupied half of Lu County, their 1,600 troops are stretched thin, and the surrounding Yan army can easily number tens of thousands...

In the last battle of Daye Lake, Liu Daogui suffered a lot. He was surrounded and blocked, and he fought hard to defeat the enemy.

But there is a price to pay outside, it cost no less than 60,000 strings of cash...

The last time he went to war, all the grain accumulated in the treasury for three years was used up. If he had to spend so much extra money every time he went to war, Liu Daogui would have gone bankrupt long ago.

"Each unit will be expanded to 400 men, and the number of cavalry will be increased to 800! The White and Embroidered White units will be stationed in Lucheng, the Black and Embroidered Black units will be stationed in Pingyangcheng, the Red and Embroidered Red units will be stationed in Zoucheng, and the remaining two Yellow units will be stationed in Xicheng."

Liu Daogui made a series of adjustments.

The number of soldiers was expanded to 3,200, with 800 cavalry, and they were directly under the command of Liu Daogui.

Now we have more than 1,500 war horses at our disposal, enough to build an elite cavalry.

To survive in the northern territories, cavalry is indispensable.

The new soldiers were directly recruited from the tribes. These people had fought their way to Lanling from all over the north. They were not lacking in martial arts and courage, and had a blood feud with the Hu people.

Every household practiced martial arts, and many of them were skilled in archery and horse riding.

There are two months of military training every year. In the past two years, we have undergone ideological transformation in the eight buildings. Now we are wearing armor and picking up swords, and we have become elite soldiers.

In less than three days, all 1,800 soldiers were recruited.

Assigned to the eighth unit, they were exempted from even training.

All officers, even the most basic sergeants, were personally met and appointed by Liu Daogui.

Basically, they are all people who have made contributions in the last war. The team leaders, officer leaders and song leaders above the fire leader are mostly Liu Daogui's subordinates. They are all old soldiers of the Northern Palace with strong military qualities and loyalty.

Because of his background, he was not promoted in the Zhenglu Army and was always buried.

Of course, nepotism is the way to go these days.

Only when you know their background and details can you feel at ease when using them. The soldiers are almost like domestic slaves. Their entire family has been bound to Liu Daogui for generations. If you don't use them, would you use someone else?

In front of all the new recruits, Liu Daogui held a promotion ceremony.

In the past two years, the villagers have been able to eat food, and occasionally they can eat a bite or two of meat and fish. Their physical fitness has improved dramatically. They are all strong and muscular, and when they stand together, they have their own aura.

"Drive out the barbarians and recover our land!" Every newly promoted officer would have a cut on his arm, with blood dripping out.

"Remember what I said today and don't forget your original intention!" Liu Daogui poured a bowl of wine and bandaged him.

Although I don't like this bad habit of self-harm, it's a tradition these days. The Qiang people in the north also have the custom of cutting their faces with knives...

"As long as I breathe, I will never forget!"

The officer picked up the wine and drank it all.

Afterwards, Liu Daogui personally handed him a bamboo plaque engraved with his name and official title, as well as the military uniform and leather belt sewn by Cao Sifei, officially making him a sergeant.

Everything must have a sense of ceremony, and a sense of honor is even more indispensable in the military.

An army without a sense of honor is just a mob.

They were poor before and had to make do with everything, but now that things have improved, Liu Daogui is willing to spend the money.

During the Wei and Jin dynasties, military households held a low status, practically equivalent to slaves. Ordinary people were unwilling to marry their daughters to them, and the military's combat effectiveness naturally plummeted. In Jiangzuo, military service was considered shameful, and while the aristocracy wore various general titles, they were as cowardly as chickens when it came to actual use.

On the other hand, the Hu people, who were members of the royal family, would go to the battlefield to fight before they were twenty years old, and when they grew up, they would firmly control the military power.

If this continues, the Southern Dynasty will definitely be surpassed by the Northern Kingdom and the gap will widen.

In fact, there is such a trend now. The core of the Northern Army and the Western Army are ultimately the northern refugees who moved south that year.

In this era, not building up military preparations is simply suicide.

Liu Daogui made it so grand in order to elevate the status of soldiers and let them know why they were fighting.

Among the Zhuang people, commoners, refugees and slaves, the Zhuang people are the highest, and among the Zhuang people, the Zhuang soldiers have a higher status. They do not need to farm, but focus on training and conquest.

There will be pensions for those killed in battle, and their children will be taken care of by their own clan. When they grow up, they will be given priority to join the army.

Disabled soldiers also receive special pensions to ensure they have enough food and clothing, and they can be transferred to civilian positions depending on their disability.

Through these measures, everyone in the eight buildings is proud to join the army.

After taking the oath, each officer who was awarded a title had a noticeably different temperament and demeanor. There was a light in his eyes and his posture was straight.

The new recruits below also had envy on their faces.

This is exactly the effect Liu Daogui wanted.

All unmarried military officers were matched by the government, and were given innocent women as their wives and two refugee women as concubines.

There are more women than men these days, and every time we go to war, the majority of captives are women and children.

It is a blessing for them to marry an officer.

After the promotion and reward, a grand wedding was held for the officers and soldiers.

All unmarried soldiers were assigned directly.

Soldiers can only settle down after they have established a family and a career.

The Zhuang people were recruited from the refugees. These people were unwilling to defect to the State of Yan and took all kinds of risks to go south. They had passed the first test and their backbones were straight.

In the more than a year since the fall of Zhai Wei, refugees have flocked south. Although most of them went to Pengcheng, Lanling also got a taste of the soup.

It was true that the State of Yan was at its peak, but the country was still in a primitive tribal state, and even the bureaucratic system had not been restored. The Xianbei nobles could bully men and women at will and occupy fertile land.

There is no harm without comparison. After being governed by Di Qin, the people in the north naturally did not want to live such a hard life anymore and moved south one after another.

To some extent, Liu Daogui personally believes that Murong Chui's Yan State is not as good as Tuoba Gui's Wei State.

When Murong Chui returned to Hebei, the various Hu peoples in Hebei, including the Dingling Zhai Liao, all joined his army and jointly elected Murong Chui as the leader, thus establishing the State of Yan.

The internal conflicts were not resolved at all, and Murong Chui could not control many things, including the clan leaders and chieftains under his command.

At the age of fifteen, Tuoba Gui raised an army in Niuchuan, defeated his uncle Tuoba Kudu, and recovered the Dai Kingdom. In the eleventh year of Taiyuan (386), he changed the country's name to Wei.

He moved the capital to Shengle City, appointed talented people, imitated the Han system, improved the official system, forcibly dispersed the various tribes, and re-registered the people according to their place of residence. In just a few years, the Wei State rose from the bitter cold and defeated the more powerful Tiele, Rouran, and Chile tribes...

In military affairs, we can only win a temporary victory.

But if domestic politics is managed properly, the country can last longer.

The State of Yan was so strong because Murong Chui had never been defeated and the country was united by its military might.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles. Although Lanling Lu County is small, it is on the front line after all. Any disturbance in the north should not be underestimated.

Liu Daogui heard various news about Wei and Yan from the merchants who came south.

(End of this chapter)