Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

The first snow of winter had melted, and the fragrance of earth mingled with the lingering chill, permeating the newly opened, expansive racecourse west of Xinghuo Fort. What was once a rolling meadow near the river had been leveled and expanded, encircled by a simple wooden fence. The remaining snow on the ground had been repeatedly trampled by horses' hooves into a mixture of mud and ice. At this moment, the field echoed with the thunderous sound of hooves, the rough shouts, and the sharp whistles.

Murong Mingyue was dressed in a sleek red riding outfit, covered by light leather armor. Her long, black hair was tied high in a ponytail, swaying as her magnificent black warhorse galloped back and forth. Her gaze, sharp as an eagle's, swept over the cavalry training in the arena. This was no longer just the three hundred old Murong tribe cavalry she had brought with her; the force had clearly grown much larger, roughly approaching six hundred riders.

The Battle of Wild Wolf Slope and the subsequent mopping-up operations resulted in Xinghuo Fort capturing over four hundred warhorses, many of which were superior breeds from the Black Mountain Army and the Hu tribes. These spoils, combined with the Murong tribe's existing horse herds and horses acquired piecemeal from northern grassland tribes through trade, provided a valuable material foundation for the expansion of the cavalry. However, integrating these horses and new personnel into a truly powerful cavalry force was far more complex than simply adding numbers together.

In the plan jointly devised by Chen Xing and Murong Mingyue, "expanding the cavalry" was given a significance that went beyond simply increasing the number of troops. It was about strengthening military power, deepening the integration of Han and non-Han peoples, and becoming a key arm for future mobile warfare and expanding living space. Chen Xing entrusted this matter entirely to Murong Mingyue, giving her maximum authority over resource allocation and personnel.

The first challenge Murong Mingyue faced was the compatibility of "people" and "horses." The newly added horses varied in temperament; some were docile packhorses, while others were fierce and untamed warhorses. The new personnel were even more diverse: some were outstanding young Han men from the Xinghuo Camp who had a talent or strong interest in riding and archery; others were non-Han people who were rigorously selected from the Guihua Camp, had clean backgrounds, and solid riding skills; and of course, the core members were still the loyal and brave old members of the Murong tribe.

How to effectively combine people with different backgrounds, riding skills, and even language and customs with horses of different temperaments to form a fighting force? Murong Mingyue brought out the ruthlessness of the grassland tribes in training riders and the unique "methods" of Xinghuo Fortress.

She divided the more than 600 cavalrymen into three tiers. The first tier, composed of 150 of the most elite veterans of the Murong tribe and a small number of Han elites, was called the "Spearhead Battalion." With superior riders and horses and the best equipment, they were responsible for assaults, raids, and serving as a training unit. The second tier, about 300 riders, was a mixed unit of new and experienced riders with good basic riding skills but lacking experience or coordination. This tier was called the "Winged Cavalry Battalion," and its focus was on training formation coordination, long-distance raids, and mounted combat and archery. The third tier, about 150 riders, mostly novices with limited riding skills or those still getting used to their horses, was called the "Sharpening the Edge Battalion." This tier provided basic riding, horse handling, maintenance, and simple tactical training, and also undertook some auxiliary patrol and relay duties.

The training was extremely rigorous, even brutal. Murong Mingyue devised a detailed "Riding Training Manual," which included everything from the daily grooming and feeding of horses, and the inspection and maintenance of saddles, to the rider's mounting and dismounting postures, balance training, command response, formation changes, long-distance endurance, traversing rough terrain, and even tactical hand signals for horse-rider coordination. She herself rose at dawn every day to personally supervise the training of each camp, frequently demonstrating and correcting movements. Her strict requirements caused many Hu warriors, accustomed to a lax approach or relying solely on brute force, to secretly complain, let alone the Han recruits.

"If you can't control your horse, you can't control the battlefield! Your horse is your partner, not a block of wood! Neglect it, and it will cost you your life on the battlefield!" Murong Mingyue's cool voice often echoed across the training ground. She emphasized the perfect harmony between rider and horse, requiring riders to be familiar with their mount's temperament, endurance limits, and special habits. To this end, she even stipulated that each rider must personally participate in most of the care of their warhorse, establishing an emotional bond.

In a corner of the training ground, several craftsmen transferred from the artisan group, with the assistance of veterans designated by Murong Mingyue, were experimenting with improvements to horse tack. Besides using newly refined steel to create more robust and durable horseshoes, stirrup rings, and saddle bridge components, the focus was on the widespread adoption and standardization of "double-sided high-bridge stirrups." Although stirrups had existed for some time, the stirrups produced by the Xinghuo Fortress artisan group under Chen Xing's guidance were designed to be more ergonomic, with a more stable suspension, significantly improving the rider's stability and power generation efficiency. This allowed cavalrymen to perform complex tactical maneuvers more easily and free their hands to use heavier weapons or draw and fire arrows more accurately. This improvement, seemingly minor, had a subtle yet profound impact on enhancing the cavalry's combat effectiveness.

Equipment upgrades were also underway. Using newly refined high-quality steel, the craftsmen began small-batch production of scimitars more suitable for cavalry, longer and heavier lances, and improved composite bows for elite cavalry. The protective aspects of leather armor were also reinforced, with thin steel plates being inlaid in key areas. This equipment was prioritized for distribution to the "Wedge Battalion" and some elite "Winged Cavalry" units.

Beyond individual skill and equipment, Murong Mingyue placed great emphasis on cavalry tactical coordination. She combined the skirmishing, harassment, and encirclement tactics excelling in the steppe cavalry with elements of the Han army's infantry formations and flag-based command. Training repeatedly honed squad infiltration and splitting, flank attacks and outflanking maneuvers by hundred-man units, and large-scale charges and rapid turns by hundreds of cavalry. Bamboo whistles, flag signals, and triangular flags of specific colors were introduced as supplementary battlefield communication, striving to maintain a basic command chain during high-speed maneuvers.

These measures were extremely costly. The supply of fine feed, the continuous investment in iron and leather, the working hours of professional craftsmen, and the hidden losses caused by the long-term off-the-job training of hundreds of elite laborers were all heavy costs. Zhao Tiezhu once privately muttered to Chen Xing, "Commander Mingyue's side is simply a money-devouring beast... no, an iron-devouring and grain-devouring beast!" Zhou Dashan also often argued with the civil affairs and city construction departments over prioritizing the equipment of the cavalry.

But Chen Xing remained resolute. "The cavalry is the spearhead of our fortress's future, the key to breaking the deadlock and expanding our living space. The investment now is large, but the returns in the future will be even greater. For Tiezhu, food allocation should prioritize ensuring the supply of fine feed for warhorses; for Dashan, iron ore allocation should prioritize cavalry equipment and fortification tools."

This support allowed Murong Mingyue to focus wholeheartedly on building the cavalry. She was also driven by a strong desire to prove herself and the new cavalry's worth, and even more so to live up to Chen Xing's trust and expectations. She and Chen Wei exchanged ideas on infantry and cavalry tactics on numerous occasions, envisioning various scenarios for future combined arms operations.

Beyond training, Murong Mingyue also aimed to foster integration between the Han and non-Han riders. She mandated that daily training instructions be given in Mandarin, encouraged riders from different backgrounds to pair up and help each other, and even organized small, inter-camp riding competitions or team contests, with winners receiving extra merit rewards. Gradually, in addition to stern reprimands and commands, the training ground began to see scenes of banter with different accents, cheers after victories, and people sharing rations around the campfire during breaks, exchanging riding tips in broken Mandarin. A camaraderie based on shared identity and common trials was quietly blossoming.

On this day, Chen Xing, along with Wu Xuejiu, Chen Wei, and others, came to inspect the cavalry training. Dust billowed across the racetrack as the "Sharp Arrow Battalion" conducted a high-speed flanking maneuver drill. One hundred and fifty riders moved with perfect coordination, sometimes gathering like arrows, sometimes scattering like a net, the rapid whistling of bamboo whistles creating a breathtakingly synchronized sound. The "Winged Cavalry Battalion" practiced mounted archery, targets set a hundred paces away. The riders trotted, drawing their bows and nocking arrows amidst the jolting. While their accuracy wasn't yet high, their movements were already quite fluid. Further away, the new recruits of the "Sharpening the Edge Battalion" were still struggling against their stubborn warhorses, many falling to the ground, but their determination to get up, grumbling, and remounting revealed an indomitable spirit.

Murong Mingyue rode over to greet them, her forehead beaded with sweat, her eyes bright: "Lord of the Fortress, everyone."

"The momentum is starting to build." Chen Xing nodded in approval. "Thank you for your hard work."

"It's my duty." Murong Mingyue wiped away her sweat. "It's just that the army is still far from being fully formed. The men and horses need to be well-coordinated, the tactics need to be refined, and the equipment needs to be complete. At least another winter of hard training is required. Moreover, the current number of horses is still insufficient, and there are even fewer good steeds. If we could acquire another two hundred good horses, the Vanguard and Wing Cavalry battalions could be at full strength, and our combat power would be raised to another level."

Looking at the galloping cavalry on the field, Chen Wei sighed, "Given time, this will surely become a powerful army for our Starfire Fortress! At that time, with infantry and cavalry working together, they can attack or defend as they please. Where within a hundred miles can they not go?"

Wu Xuejiu stroked his beard and smiled: "The expansion of the cavalry is not only about the advantage of weapons and armor, but also about uniting the hearts of the people. Watching the Han and non-Han soldiers train together on the field, encouraging and inspiring each other, is a wonderful sight."

Chen Xing gazed at the distant horizon, where the vast and unknown northern grasslands stretched out. "I'll find a way to deal with the horses. Through trade, commerce, or even... other means in the future. Mingyue, just focus on training the troops. What I need is not just a cavalry that can charge into battle, but a cavalry that knows why it fights and is utterly loyal."

Murong Mingyue nodded solemnly: "Mingyue understands."

A biting wind swept across the racetrack, whipping up lingering snowflakes that stung the riders' faces, red with cold but focused with concentration. Training continued; commands, the clatter of hooves, and the vibrations of bowstrings mingled into a rugged and powerful symphony. This rapidly growing cavalry was like a sharp claw, forged and tempered, extending from Starfire Fortress. It had yet to undergo the true test of fire, but its inherent sharpness and potential already instilled a sense of awe in all who witnessed it.