Having many children brings many blessings; the struggle for power begins with marriage.

Chapter 166 The Northern Xian King's Army Marches South

At this moment, Lu Chen was actually a little angry.

Lu Chen wasn't stupid. Why hadn't the Northern Prince's Mansion sent him any maids after he'd been in Tianguang City for over a month, but now they were sending him maids?

It was obvious that someone had tipped him off, saying that he was not doing well in Tianguang City, which was why the Northern Prince's Mansion sent a maid to take care of him.

Were those people who tipped him off really just because he was a prince, and they were afraid he would suffer in Tianguang City?

I can only say that it's not necessarily true.

Lu Chen had also heard some rumors these days. Some soldiers from Beijun were talking about how he had transferred Bai Qingqing to another military camp and didn't even keep any women by his side.

The prince didn't keep any women around him, which made his soldiers afraid to even touch the women who came to the camp to buy sex.

This made Lu Chen somewhat suspicious, wondering if someone wanted him to set an example so that they could follow along and avoid feeling any pressure.

Seeing that Lu Chen was angry, Mu Changtian instantly realized his mistake and immediately knelt down, saying, "Your Highness, it was I who sent someone to tell the Princess about your life in the military camp. I am guilty, please punish me!"

Upon hearing Mu Changtian's words, Lu Chen chuckled inwardly, knowing that someone had tipped him off.

Lu Chen then said, "General Mu, I will let this go this time, but this is not to be repeated."

Get up.

Mu Changtian immediately said, "Thank you for your forgiveness, Your Highness."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Changtian stood up. After Mu Changtian stood up, Lu Chen continued, "Recently, I have noticed that many women have come to Tianguang City. I wonder if you are aware of this."

Upon hearing Lu Chen's words, Mu Changtian instantly understood what Lu Chen meant. Lu Chen had just made it clear that no more women like military prostitutes were allowed in the military camp.

Although the women who came to Tianguang City were not military prostitutes, their purpose in coming to Tianguang City was to sell themselves. As long as the soldiers gave them money, they would spend the night with the soldiers. It could be said that they were no different from military prostitutes.

Mu Changtian immediately said, "Your Highness, I will have those women driven out of Tianguang City shortly!"

Lu Chen continued, "I'll take this opportunity to speak frankly. When you return, please tell the soldiers what I said: My army must have strict discipline. On the battlefield, you must focus all your attention on the war and not think about eating, drinking, and having fun."

"Of course, this is not only for the soldiers, but also for you."

At this moment, Mu Changtian said, "Your Highness, I understand your thoughts, but the soldiers in the army are a mixed bag. Getting them to completely obey orders and prevent them from going to find women will probably not be easy."

Hearing Mu Changtian's words, Lu Chen was not surprised at all. Mu Changtian was right. The army in Beijun now had all kinds of people, which was completely different from the army Lu Chen had imagined.

At this moment, Lu Chen looked at Mu Changtian and asked, "General Mu, what do you think of my Black Cavalry?"

Mu Changtian said, "Orders are strictly obeyed and military discipline is strict."

Lu Chen smiled and said, "If the Black Cavalry can do it, why can't the Northern County army?"

This……

Mu Changtian thought about it and agreed. However, this would mean reorganizing the army, which would likely require removing a lot of soldiers.

Lu Chen continued, "After this war ends, I intend to establish a new army with strict discipline. From now on, soldiers with criminal records, those who have committed offenses, or even vagrants will not be allowed to join my new army."

As soon as Lu Chen finished speaking, Li Feng reminded him, "Your Highness, there are many refugees in Beijun. If we don't recruit them into the army, they will have nowhere to go and may easily cause trouble if they gather together."

Since ancient times, there have been many prisoners or refugees in the army. In the eyes of the emperor, those prisoners and refugees were cannon fodder and expendable resources in the war, so it was more appropriate to send them to the battlefield.

If Beijun does not recruit refugees into the army, the large number of refugees will have a significant impact on the security of Beijun.

Lu Chen said calmly, "General Li's considerations are not without merit, but I have already found a place for those refugees."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other and said nothing more.

They probably already guessed what kind of good place Lu Chen was referring to.

Construction of the straight road in Northshire has begun, and coal mines are being mined in large quantities. All of these require labor, and the number of refugees in Northshire is nothing compared to the labor shortage in Northshire.

At this moment, Lu Chen continued, "The army's mindset must change. We can't just take anyone. If the army is full of hooligans and thugs, how can the people trust my army?"

"If the common people don't even trust the army under my command, how can they trust me? The army of Beijun is tied to me; we share the same fate, and we share the same glory."

"If the army's atmosphere is always restless, with soldiers only thinking about promotion and wealth after joining, rather than protecting the country, such an army may be fine in winning battles, but if it encounters even the slightest setback, the soldiers' first thought will be their own interests. At that time, the entire army will instantly lose its fighting capacity. I do not want to see my army crumble at the first touch of the enemy in my lifetime."

At this moment, Mu Changtian and the others listened quietly to Lu Chen's speech. They were all somewhat surprised that Lu Chen, a prince who stayed in the palace every day, had such insights into the construction of the army.

Lu Chen continued, "General Mu, from now on you will be in charge of the construction of the new army in Beijun. Remember my words: the soldiers recruited by the new army must be the best. The construction of the new army should be modeled after the Black Cavalry. All the bad habits and evil practices in the old military camps must not be allowed to reappear."

Mu Changtian immediately replied, "Yes, Your Highness!"

Lu Chen stood up from his seat. "Alright, that's enough for today. I'm going to get some fresh air on the city wall. You all should think about what I just said and consider the future development of the new army in Beijun."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Chen left the room, and everyone said in unison, "Respectfully seeing off Your Highness!"

After Lu Chen left, the generals in the room looked at each other. After a long while, Mu Jingwu finally spoke up: "Father, the Prince just said that the new army should recruit the best people in the future. Isn't war all about attrition? If we kill off all the best people, won't Beijun be left with only thugs and ruffians?"

Lu Chen's ideas were still somewhat ahead of their time. Although the Great Xia army also emphasized strict military discipline, no matter how much they emphasized it verbally, the Great Xia army could hardly achieve the same level of obedience as the Black Cavalry.

It can be said that the Black Cavalry was the most loyal and disciplined army Mu Changtian had ever seen. The regular army of Beijun was no match for the Black Cavalry.

Moreover, Mu Jingwu was right. In the eyes of the rulers and the high-ranking officials of the court, war meant death, so it was better to send prisoners and refugees to fight. That way, they wouldn't feel bad if the prisoners died.

However, Lu Chen said that he wanted to send the best people to the military.

Mu Changtian thought for a moment, then said, "I think I understand what Your Highness means."

Upon hearing Mu Changtian's words, everyone looked at him, hoping he could enlighten them. Few people present understood Lu Chen's thoughts; they were curious as to why the prince would have such ideas.

Mu Changtian stroked his beard and then said, "Your Highness's reorganization of the military camp is probably preparation for that position!"

Hearing this, everyone was taken aback.

That location?

Although Mu Changtian didn't say it explicitly, they could tell what position he was referring to—clearly the throne.

Mu Changtian continued his analysis: "The vassal kings' armies have very poor discipline. They have committed many acts of burning, killing, and looting, which makes the common people distrust the vassal kings' armies and think that those soldiers are no different from bandits."

"As His Highness just said, he is tied to the army of Beijun, and whatever the army does will ultimately affect his reputation."

"Therefore, Your Highness must reorganize the military camp so that there will be no more hooligans and thugs in the army of Beijun in the future, and so that the people can trust the army under your command."

"Imagine if one day, the Northern King's army, known for its strict discipline and its absolute prohibition against burning, killing, and looting, were to attack an enemy country, and the people of that enemy country heard of this, what do you think they would choose?"

Mu Changtian's words were like a wake-up call. Everyone in the room realized what Lu Chen meant.

Although Mu Changtian's assumption was to attack an enemy country, everyone knew that it would not be easy for the Northern King to obtain the throne, and that Great Xia might one day break out into a civil war.

If the Northern King's disciplined army, which does not engage in burning, killing, or looting, were to appear on the lands of other vassal kings, the people of those counties would certainly welcome their arrival.

Not all ordinary people have the opportunity to come into contact with the Northern King, and they may not necessarily know what kind of person the real Northern King is.

However, the Northern King's army would definitely come into contact with the common people, and the common people could roughly judge what kind of ruler the Northern King was from the Northern King's army.

If a civil war were to break out in the Great Xia Dynasty, would the people of a region welcome an army with strict discipline that never burns, kills, or plunders, or would they welcome bandits from other vassal kings? It seems there's no need to think about it.

Mu Changtian continued, "Actually, there is another advantage to the prince's approach: if hooligans and thugs don't enter the military camp, it will be much easier to maintain military discipline. Most of the troublemakers in the military camp now are those who have committed crimes or are from all walks of life."

"The imperial army has always emphasized strict military discipline, but since His Majesty ascended the throne, no matter how he tries to reorganize the military camps, the results have been minimal. This is mainly because the soldiers who make up the army have problematic backgrounds."

"If an army has only one or two hooligans, those one or two bad apples can't cause any trouble in the face of strict military discipline. But if an army has a group of hooligans gathered together, no matter how much the higher-ups emphasize strict military discipline, it's useless. This is the same principle as the mutual protection among powerful families in the imperial court."

At this point, Mu Changtian exclaimed, "Your Highness's method is truly ingenious! How come I never thought of selecting soldiers from their backgrounds before?"

"I can't wait to see the fighting power of the new army."

Hearing Mu Changtian's analysis, the other generals in the room developed expectations for the new army. At the same time, they admired Lu Chen even more for being able to see the crux of the Great Xia army so quickly, something they had never thought of before.

It should be noted that the Northern King is only sixteen or seventeen years old this year, and he rarely leads troops into battle. He has only been staying in the military camp for the past month.

These seasoned veterans who had spent years in the military camps hadn't come up with a good way to enforce discipline, but the Northern King figured out how to do it after only a month in the camp.

No wonder he's a chosen one with a destiny to become an immortal!

at the same time.

On the city wall.

Lu Chen stood in the wind and snow, gazing into the distance.

Just then, he suddenly felt the earth tremble slightly, and vague figures seemed to appear in the wind and snow.

Lu Chen was a Grandmaster, and his perception had been greatly enhanced, so he noticed the approach of the Northern Xian King's army before anyone else on the city wall.

Seeing a blurry black shadow in the distance, Lu Chen's lips curled up slightly.

He waited a full month before it finally arrived.

He had never waited for anyone for so long before.

At this moment, Xiao Pengtian, a grandmaster, also noticed the approaching army of the Northern Xian King. He immediately shouted, "The enemy is coming! All troops, prepare for battle!"

Upon hearing Xiao Pengtian's words, the messenger immediately beat the drum.

The next moment, the sound of drums echoed in the sky above Tianguang City. Mu Changtian and the others, who were still immersed in the wisdom of Lu Chen, were instantly awakened by the sound of drums. They hurriedly left the room and came to the city tower.

At this moment, all the soldiers of Tianguang City entered combat readiness, and the soldiers on the city wall began to move the bombs. Soon the bombs and catapults were in place.

Everyone was on high alert.

As the sound of horses' hooves grew closer, the figures in the distance became clearer.

Upon seeing the Northern Xian King's army, Li Feng couldn't help but exclaim, "I didn't expect the Northern Xian King to actually come."

Although they had heard that the Northern King was going to march south in winter, everyone was wondering whether he would eventually give up.

The weather is getting colder and colder. It's already snowing in Beijun, and it's probably even colder on the grasslands. Under these circumstances, it's indeed possible that the King of Beixian will give up his southward advance.

However, the King of Northern Korea still came.

Lu Chen smiled and looked at the barbarian army in the distance, saying, "If he doesn't come, I'll have nowhere to send all these gifts I've prepared. I'm just afraid he won't come."

At this moment, Mu Changtian asked, "Your Highness, the terrain of Tianguang City is relatively open. If we use the Thunderclap Bomb at the beginning, it is very likely to scare away the barbarian army. If they want to escape, we may have a hard time stopping them."

The reason they were able to wipe out the 300,000-strong army of the Sirius King was entirely due to the terrain of the Wanning River Valley. After the Sirius King's army entered the Wanning River Valley, the Black Cavalry blocked the valley, and with high mountains on both sides, the barbarian cavalry had nowhere to run.

However, Tianguang City is different. Tianguang City is surrounded by grasslands. Once the Northern Xian King's army is defeated, it will be difficult to hold them back with only 50,000 heavy cavalry and tens of thousands of regular infantry from the Northern Commandery.

(End of this chapter)