Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

Seeing that all three had said so, Emperor Jingsheng smiled and nodded with a hint of pleasure:

"This military song is simple and easy to understand! It sounds even more majestic than the military ceremonial music played by the Ministry of Rites. It is indeed something that our Han soldiers should learn!"

After the group finished discussing the matter, the infantry soldiers on the drill ground were already marching in formation.

Tens of thousands of infantrymen, under the command of Zhuque's flag, formed neat square formations.

They were all clad in iron armor and fully armed, marching in formation without any disorder.

After a drumbeat,

These tens of thousands of people were divided into thirty square formations, including shield infantry, spearmen, musketeers, and so on.

The neat square formations stood as if measured by a ruler, with all the soldiers standing ramrod straight, spears and shields in hand, without moving an inch.

This solemn military presence filled the air with a chilling atmosphere. Even Emperor Jingsheng and Niu Jizong, who had seen many grand occasions, felt an invisible pressure at this moment.

Wang Ziteng stared wide-eyed, exclaiming in disbelief, "How is this possible!"

He had personally witnessed the elite Han troops of the Nine Borders. Even among the more capable border armies, he had never seen soldiers with such disciplined bearing as those in the Ba Shang camp.

"Now that's what you call an elite force! I, Old Niu, finally understand why Lord Jia has won so many battles. With such a disciplined and unified army, who in the world can stand against him! His skill in training troops is truly exceptional; I am ashamed to admit my inferiority!"

Niu Jizong looked surprised and exclaimed repeatedly.

Emperor Jingsheng's expression also changed slightly. He had not expected that Jia Jing could train the soldiers of Ba Shang Camp into such an elite force in just over two months.

These soldiers are completely different from those I just saw in the Beijing garrison.

Putting everything else aside, their uniform and orderly demeanor alone makes them a unique presence on the battlefield.

At this moment, Suzaku waved his command flag again, and a loud shout rang out:

"March!"

"Slap! Slap!"

"Snapped!"

"..."

The sound of footsteps echoing on the ground reverberated throughout the training ground.

A small number of people cannot produce such a sound, but when tens of thousands of soldiers march in unison on the training ground, the sound is enough to resound throughout the surrounding area!

As the soldiers marched in step, the sound of their uniform footsteps seemed to resonate deeply with Emperor Jingsheng and his entourage.

One after another, the square formations passed before the crowd and headed into the distance, all so orderly, as if they had been neatly arranged with a ruler, without a single mistake.

"The art of war says: 'Swift as the wind, silent as the forest, fierce as fire, immovable as a mountain.' I see these troops are already showing signs of that! Minister Jia has lived up to my expectations!"

Emperor Jingsheng stroked his short beard and exclaimed in admiration.

Jia Jing composed himself, cupped his hands, and said:

"Your Majesty flatters me! I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's trust and will certainly do my utmost to repay Your Majesty's kindness!"

Emperor Jingsheng smiled, his gaze deep, and said:

"With a talent like Jia Qing to help me, how can I worry about the stability of the world?"

Afterwards, the group observed the cavalry drills and finally arrived at the training area for firearms soldiers.

This branch of the military numbers nearly 10,000, including 9000 musketeers and 1000 artillerymen. Their main training focuses on firing speed and accuracy.

Under Ma Guocheng's command, nine thousand musketeers were divided into nine ranks and conducted three rounds of volley training at a target seventy paces away.

Firearms in the Han Dynasty were mainly divided into hand cannons and bird-beak cannons. Hand cannons had a range of about fifty to one hundred paces, but they were inaccurate, had a slow rate of fire, and were not very powerful, making it difficult to penetrate ordinary armor.

The beaked gun had an effective range of sixty to one hundred paces, had a rear sight, was highly accurate, and although its rate of fire was not high, it was more powerful.

The cannons were mainly the Frankish cannon and the Hongyi cannon. The Frankish cannon had a pre-loaded magazine and a fast rate of fire, while the Hongyi cannon had a long range and great power, and was mainly used for attacking fortified positions.

At this time, the Han army's firearms had very obvious shortcomings.

For example, the slow rate of fire and the long reload time after firing are fatal weaknesses when facing high-speed cavalry.

Furthermore, it has poor accuracy, insufficient effective kill capability, poor reliability, and is subject to weather conditions.

Before significant equipment improvements, firearms soldiers were mainly used in specific environments such as defending cities, camps, and setting up ambushes, relying on fortifications to offset some of their disadvantages in mobility and rate of fire.

Jia Jing did not obtain the method for improving firearms from the system, nor did he have any research in this area. Therefore, firearm soldiers were temporarily trained as auxiliary troops, and Ma Guocheng was in charge of them.

Gunfire erupted on the training ground, especially during volleys, where the combined sound of gunfire was deafening, and the air was thick with smoke, creating a truly awe-inspiring scene.

The muskets used in the Ba Shang camp were all carefully selected and of excellent quality by Jia Jing, so the risk of them exploding was very small.

Each musketeer took out a measured amount of gunpowder and lead bullets from his satchel and skillfully poured them into the musket and tamped them down.

He then held the musket in front of him, aimed at the targets not far away, and fired them one by one.

"The musketeers load very quickly! But what are those auxiliary soldiers doing, crying and making a ruckus over there?"

Niu Jizong pointed to the hundreds of auxiliary soldiers howling like ghosts beside the musketeers and asked.

"That was specifically designed to disrupt the musketeers' training, mainly to simulate a real battlefield environment, so that the soldiers wouldn't be too shaken and uncomfortable when facing the sounds of fighting and screams on the battlefield."

Jia Jing explained.

"Simulated training, that's a very innovative method. But I see your musketeers are completely unaffected; they've clearly become quite elite!"

Niu Jizong said thoughtfully.

Emperor Jingsheng glanced at Jia Jing, casting a gentle look at him, and smiled:

"Perhaps this is the composure to remain calm even when Mount Tai collapses before you. Your essay 'The Art of the Mind' is excellent; I have read it repeatedly."

"It was also circulated among several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, who all praised it as first-rate writing. Not only is the writing excellent, but the meaning is even better!"

"The way of a general begins with cultivating one's mind. One must remain unmoved even if Mount Tai collapses before you, and not even blink if a deer runs past on your left. Only then can you control gains and losses, and be ready to face the enemy. This not only speaks of the way of a general, but also of the way of self-cultivation. You must have this composure in everything you do!"

"Your Majesty flatters me!" Jia Jing glanced at Xia Shouzhong and replied in a deep voice.

He was not surprised that Emperor Jingsheng knew about the articles and poems he had written in his residence.

It would be strange if any high-ranking official in the capital didn't have a few spies from the Imperial City Guard in their household.

The fact that Emperor Jingsheng could say these things to his face shows that he didn't treat him like an outsider.

However, the mansion should be reorganized; it's fortunate that there are spies from the Imperial City Guard.

However, if other political enemies in the court or the retired emperor could easily obtain information about the residence, that would not be a good thing!

Now that more than two months have passed, we have already gathered all the intelligence about the household. It's time to find an opportunity to go back and clean up the parasites and traitors within our own ranks.

For families of military merit, governing them with military law is the right way to go.

Over the years, the servants in the mansion have been treated with excessive leniency by Grandmother Jia. It is time to take drastic measures to eliminate their shady dealings and promote integrity.