My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 91 A Warrior with Brains
Being able to recruit such a brave warrior is enough to make Gao Yu happy for a long time.

He didn't expect to completely subdue Peng Le after this brief encounter. Peng Le wasn't like the walking 'succubus' of the Liu family, who would lock in 100% loyalty at first glance and then devote themselves to the cause until their dying breath.

But he knows.

For a desperate criminal like Peng Le...

If you offer them good treatment and a promising future, they will naturally not betray you.

The next day.

After Gao Yu settled Peng Le and the others in, Peng Le sent his trusted men outside the city to bring back the followers who had not come with him to join them.

Peng Le, as a capture general directly under Gao Yu's command, enjoyed the treatment of a personal guard and always followed Gao Yu.

He was indeed carefully observing Gao Yu's 'abilities' through various means.

Having great strength alone is useless.

A warrior who doesn't use his brain will remain a warrior his whole life. If he could achieve anything just by being strong, why would he need to seek refuge with someone else? The reason he seeks refuge is simply to have a powerful backer to protect him from harm.
If this mountain is just a small hill, how can it provide shelter from the wind and rain?

After observing for half a day, Peng Le could tell that Gao Yu's soldiers were indeed many brave men, especially the fifty or sixty men who were incorporated into the armored cavalry.

These were all people who came to join Gao Yu's ranks because of his reputation, and they had an almost fanatical respect for him.

Even when they were joking and playing around, Gao Yu didn't mind. He seemed to have no airs, and with his woman-like appearance, it was difficult for him to intimidate others. In his eyes, a hero should look like him, someone who could inspire fear at first glance.

Peng Le couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed, after all, even ordinary people understand the principle that a kind heart cannot command an army and a righteous heart cannot manage finances.

He decided to observe further.

Afternoon.

Gao Yu summoned all his soldiers, and Peng Le then learned that Gao Yu had set a rule that he would inspect the soldiers' martial arts skills every half month as a test.

Gao Yu was the commander of the cavalry, and all the soldiers he led were cavalrymen.

therefore……

The assessment focuses on horseback archery, but will also include other components.

Gao Yu demanded that his soldiers meet the standards of Tang Dynasty warriors, requiring them to be proficient in using all kinds of weapons.

Horseback riding, foot archery, mounted archery, spear...

In addition, one must wear armor and lift the gate, which tests endurance and strength.

"Is the calibration process really this complicated?"

Peng Le was extremely surprised when he learned of this.

One of the heavily armored cavalrymen replied with great pride, "Of course! We, the soldiers under our commander, are the elite of Huai Shuo. Even the garrison commander's armored cavalry cannot compare to us!"

At this time.

Ten arrow sacks had already been set up, and horses had been brought for Gao Yu, and his bow had been strung.

Peng Le is in high spirits!

Clearly, Gao Yu wanted to demonstrate it himself before the inspection!
After Gao Yu mounted his horse, he lashed out with his whip, and the horse let out a long neigh in pain before galloping away. Gao Yu grabbed several arrows from his quiver and shot them out at lightning speed, repeating the motion repeatedly.

Every arrow hit its mark, and every single one struck the bullseye!

"The commander is a master archer!"

The soldiers shouted in unison.

After Gao Yu finished demonstrating his archery skills, someone brought over a cross-shaped wooden dummy used in training and handed Gao Yu a long pole with the tip wrapped in cloth and coated with lime.

Gao Yu stood about two steps away from the wooden figure, holding the wooden pole with both hands. He stepped forward with his right foot, then shouted and thrust the pole three times in quick succession without pausing.

White dots were left on the wooden figure's face, neck, chest, and other vital areas.

Gao Yu then spoke.

"Rules as usual, begin inspection!"

Peng Le also learned from the soldiers about Gao Yu's inspection standards.

Armored cavalrymen must hit the bullseye seven out of ten times in archery and strike vital points with every spear thrust.

For ordinary cavalry, the archery requirement is four out of ten hits, and the standard for bayonet thrusts will be lowered a bit.

"What if... we can't achieve that?"

The soldier replied, "If a soldier is a fully armored cavalryman, and fails the first inspection, he will be whipped five times on each leg; if he fails the second inspection, he will be whipped ten times; and if he fails the third inspection, he will no longer serve as a fully armored cavalryman and will be transferred to the cavalry platoon under the command of the deputy commander."

"If an ordinary cavalryman makes rapid progress, he can be promoted to the armored cavalry ranks."

"Is it too harsh?"

"Where are the strict requirements?"

The soldiers retorted, explaining, "The commander has ordered that even he himself, if he fails to hit the target ten times out of ten, will be punished according to military law, and the punishment will be doubled!"

Upon hearing the soldier's words, Peng Le was startled and terrified!

Now he understood why Gao Yu's troops were known for their exceptional bravery and strict requirements, yet so many soldiers still flocked to join them.

He watched for a long time, and all the armored cavalrymen met the standard, but Gao Yu still had Liu Yi take notes next to him.

The armored cavalry numbered fifty or sixty men in total, so he divided them into units of ten and set up squad leaders.

Each time it is checked and calibrated.

The team with the highest combined score receives a reward such as fine wine and good meat as an incentive. The same applies to ordinary cavalry.

"The rewards and punishments are clear-cut, no wonder the soldiers are all eager to be the first to perform the inspection."

Peng Le changed his opinion of Gao Yu.

Gao Yu also came to Peng Le's side, "Zixing has only been here for a short time, so he probably hasn't adapted yet. However, Zixing and his subordinates will all participate in the next inspection. If their martial arts skills are lacking, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Peng Le nodded hurriedly, "Since it is a rule established by the military commander, we will naturally abide by it. Please rest assured, military commander... If the brothers I brought are not skilled in martial arts, there is no need for the military commander to intervene. I will drive them away myself and will never let the reputation of the Xuanjia Army be tarnished because of us."

Gao Yu nodded in satisfaction.

Mulan leaned closer, smiling as she suggested, "Brother Zixing, would you like to give it a try?"

Having great strength is just a good foundation; what's needed for battlefield combat is proficiency in various weapons and mastery of killing techniques.

Yesterday, in a contest of strength, Mulan was inferior to Peng Le.

This made Mulan, who had always only lost to Gao Yu, quite dissatisfied. She wanted to take this opportunity to see what other skills Peng Le had.

"How dare I disobey the Deputy Commander's order?"

Peng Le's expression hardened, and he said solemnly, "Although I am not very talented, I am willing to give it a try!"

After a brief observation, Peng Le also understood that Gao Yu's Xuanjia Army believed in the supremacy of the strong, and that to gain recognition, one had to demonstrate extraordinary martial arts skills.

As an outsider, he had to demonstrate his abilities to avoid being looked down upon.

Gao Yu immediately led a horse to Peng Le and handed him a bow.

Peng Le did not refuse and began to demonstrate his abilities.

He was equally skilled in archery and horsemanship. Although he could not hit the target as accurately as Gao Yu, he still hit the target eight out of ten times. His spear and lance skills were also extremely outstanding.

The soldiers watching cheered for him!

Seeing this, Mulan couldn't help but feel a little frustrated. He was outdone by Peng Le in every aspect, which was a huge blow to him, who had always thought he was only inferior to Gao Yu.

Gao Yu patted Mulan on the shoulder to comfort her, "There are so many heroes in the world, Mulan. You must never underestimate the heroes of the world. On the battlefield, you need personal bravery, but you must also avoid being reckless."

"Human strength is finite. To win on the battlefield, we need command and coordination. You are the deputy commander I personally chose, which means I have high expectations for you. Do not disappoint me."

Mulan gritted her teeth and nodded heavily, "Gao Lang, rest assured! I will certainly not disgrace the name of the deputy commander of the Xuanjia Army, nor will I bring shame to you."

Gao Yu nodded in satisfaction.

Pressure is a good thing.

He had confidence in Mulan, believing that some setbacks and blows would surely help her improve.

Gao Yu then entrusted the inspection of the remaining cavalry to Mulan.

He then returned to his residence, found Liu Taozhi, and asked her to arrange for her to lead the caravan out again as soon as possible.

no way.

Gao Yu's method of raising troops is extremely expensive, and currently he is even spending more than he earns. Although his sister-in-law has sponsored a portion of the expenses, his requirements for training troops are much higher than those of ordinary generals. For example, ordinary soldiers drill every three to five days, while his soldiers drill every day and only have a rest every ten days. As a result, he must ensure that his troops are well-nourished.

This was a huge expense. Even though he had received many rewards before, which were enough for the time being, he couldn't just sit around and do nothing. Right now, his only source of income was the caravans.

Therefore, Liu Taozhi could only be used as a donkey for the production team.

Just as Gao Yu was giving his instructions.

A servant came to report that Gao Huan had sent someone to invite him to his residence for a gathering.

Gao Yu hurriedly rode his horse to Gao Huan's residence. Upon seeing Gao Huan, Gao Yu couldn't help but ask him questions.

"Brother, did you summon me here because you need something?"

Gao Huan gestured for him to sit down before speaking, "Tomorrow I will send two thousand cattle and sheep to your ranch."

“I know that maintaining an army is extremely expensive, so there’s no need to be so polite with me.”

"This was also Zhaojun's intention."

Gao Yu didn't stand on ceremony, saying, "Thank you, brother and sister-in-law."

"In a few more days, we will be sending the Rouran king back to the Rouran court in the north. Your armored cavalry is not yet at full strength?"

Gao Yu shook his head, "However, some brave warriors have come to join us in the past two days."

Then he told Gao Huan about Peng Le's situation.

After learning the details, Gao Huan couldn't help but ask, "Are you really sure this Peng Le is a madman?"

"Perhaps...we should think about it more carefully?"

"If he were truly a fool, why would he be so meticulous as to bring a few people to investigate first before making a decision?"

Gao Huan reminded him of this.

Gao Yu did think of some clues.

Presumably, Peng Le deliberately provoked Mulan that day in order to have a chance to show off his skills in front of her.

Moreover, Peng Le's confidants listened to him and respected him greatly. If he were truly a fool, how could he become the leader of a group of desperados?

Gao Yu finally realized what was going on.

So, Peng Le was deliberately pretending to be stupid in front of him?
(End of this chapter)