Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 224 Reminiscing about the past
A week after the transfer orders from Luzhou, the Marshal's Office, and Lu Jin were passed on to various armies, the troop deployment on the southern and eastern fronts was finally completed.

Zhang Desheng's newly formed 17th Regiment was transferred to Chao County for training and preparation for war, and was affiliated with the 37th Army on the eastern front.

Zhang Wen's Sixth Regiment was transferred to Luzhou, and from then on it would be under the command of Lu Jin's Imperial Guard.

Lu Jin and Zhang Wen had not seen each other for a long time. When he learned that Zhang Wen had led his army back, he immediately sent someone to invite Zhang Wen and his wife Qin to the Marshal's Mansion to reminisce about the past.

The second hall in the backyard of the Marshal's Mansion was bustling with activity that day. Lu Jin, Zhang Wen and Zhu Shou were all there. These three brothers who had joined the army together got together again.

Zhang Yunxiu was chatting with Qin with her big belly. Zhang Wen's wife, Qin Shumin, was also pregnant at this time, but it was only three months and her pregnancy was not obvious yet.

Liao Yongan's nephew Liao Sheng, Zhu Shou's brother Zhu Yan, and Mu Ying, three little guys of similar age, did not go to class today. They were running around in the yard. Mu Ying's mother now works in the Marshal's Mansion. Since she recovered from her illness, she stayed here as a cook to help prepare meals.

Zhang Wen and Zhu Shou were also drinking tea and reminiscing about the past. Zhang Wen winked at Zhu Shou and asked in a low voice, "Now that my elder brother Lu and I both have wives and are about to have a baby, when are you going to get married and have a baby, Zhu Shou?"

Zhu Shou spat out a mouthful of tea leaves after hearing this, and said expressionlessly, "I don't have time to think about these things. Besides, my family still has Zhu Yanchuan's incense, so there's no rush for my business."

Zhang Wen looked at the kid chasing Liao Sheng with a wooden sword in the yard and asked curiously, "We are all stationed outside. You are Brother Lu's imperial guard, guarding Luzhou City. You don't have any combat missions. How come you are so busy that you don't even have time to get married and have children?"

Zhu Shou sighed, "I do not have any combat missions for the time being, but I have the mission of training troops. My regiment is Brother Lu's imperial guards, and it is also the first unit in the entire army to be fully equipped with firearms. Not to mention the generals from all over the country, even some people in the Marshal's Office are skeptical about whether a pure firearms unit is viable.

"But Brother Lu said that firearms are good, and firearms troops are very capable in fighting. He has high expectations for pure firearms troops. How can I disappoint Brother Lu's expectations? I must supervise them strictly and train them well.

"Besides, I have to study now, learning Brother Lu's Gongshu Suanjing. Do you know how difficult it is to learn? I am busy practicing arithmetic problems every day, so how can I have time to think about love affairs?"

Zhang Wen opened his mouth in surprise and asked curiously, "You are the general leading the army. Didn't you say that this thing is for the artillery to learn? Why do you have to learn it too?"

Zhu Shou took another sip of tea and said, "I want to learn this myself. Although I am a general leading troops and don't need to fire the cannons myself, I have to know how to command the artillery. If I don't know how to fire the cannons, how can I know how to command them?

“Besides, I am Big Brother Lu’s personal guard. If I don’t have real skills, how can I make other generals in the army obey me? How can I make those arrogant soldiers and generals obey me? Take the artillery battalion commander Yang Huan for example. His brother is now a lieutenant general, and I am only a brigade commander. He is Big Brother Lu’s personal disciple, who taught me artillery skills. How can I succeed if I can’t even compare to him?

"Besides, if I don't achieve some success in the future, the army will probably spread the word that Brother Lu is nepotism, and people will look down on us."

Zhang Wen nodded, then smiled and said, "That's true. Now our team is getting stronger and stronger, and there are more and more surrendered generals in the army. These people may not be of the same mind as those in Chaohu. It's good that we can always win battles with Brother Lu leading us, but if we lose a battle one day, who knows what these people will think.

"When that time really comes, we will need a capable imperial army to intimidate the other generals. It's a pity for you, Zhu Shou. You're about to get married, but you still have to study math with a bunch of kids, hahahahaha."

Zhu Shou glanced at him and said, "Hehe, you don't have to laugh at me. What do you think the Marshal transferred you back for this time? You can't escape what I learned. You learned later than me. Let's see when you can catch up."

"Uh, no way." Zhang Wen was originally gloating, but he was stunned when he heard this.

At this moment, Lu Jin suddenly came out from the backyard and slapped Zhang Wen on the shoulder, "What are you hungry for? Are you hungry now? Then stay for dinner later."

"Hahahaha." This time it was Zhu Shou's turn to gloat. Seeing Zhang Wen's constipated expression and Lu Jin's questioning look, Zhu Shou immediately explained.

"Just now I told him that I was learning arithmetic, and he laughed at me. Then I said that Brother Lu transferred him back to transform his Sixth Regiment into a Firearms Combined Brigade, and he had to learn the things I was learning, but he still didn't believe it."

Zhang Wen also turned around at this time and asked, "Marshal, what Zhu Shou said is not true, right?"

Lu Jin pulled a chair and sat down, asking, "Why, you don't want to learn arithmetic?"

Zhang Wen was even more speechless, "Does the Marshal really want to reorganize my Sixth Regiment into something like Zhu Shou's?"

Lu Jin nodded, "Yes, I have this plan. I am transferring you back this time to strengthen the strength of the Imperial Guards and to prepare for the crossing of the river in the future. You two must complete the modification and training within half a year. When we cross the river, I plan to let you two be the vanguard of the entire army."

"The vanguard of the entire army?!" This was the first time that Lu Jin mentioned this matter in front of the two of them, and they both looked surprised.

"That's right. When I first established the army, I divided my soldiers into three types: the Imperial Guard, the Holy Martial Army, and the Internal Guard. Do you two know why I made this arrangement?"

Zhang Wen thought for a moment and said, "The Shengwu Army is responsible for external battles and border defense, the Imperial Guards are responsible for garrisoning the center, and the Internal Guards are stationed in various places?"

Lu Jin nodded again, but added, "It is correct to arrange it this way, but this is only the case when the world is at peace. Throughout the dynasties, the imperial guards guarding the central government have always been the most powerful army in the country. Without this arrangement, we cannot suppress the border troops in various places.

“For example, the Northern and Southern Armies in the Western Han Dynasty, the Imperial Guards in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Shen Ce Army in the Tang Dynasty, the Six Northern Armies, the Sixteen Southern Guards, etc. If there were no such powerful armies and imperial guards guarding the central government, how could the generals leading troops from all over the country take the court seriously?

"That's one reason. There's another reason. At the beginning of each dynasty, there were capable ministers and generals. Without them, the country could not have won. The imperial guards must be elite troops that could sweep across the world. The generals dare not underestimate them. But when the successor emperors come to power, the country is at peace. The imperial guards may still be able to fight at the beginning of the country, but they have been guarding the center for a long time. Without the baptism of war, the civil officials are at ease and the military officials are idle. How can the imperial guards maintain their deterrent power?

"So I have a plan. From now on, whenever we use our military force against foreign enemies, we will use a part of the Imperial Guard as the vanguard, the Holy Martial Army as the main force, and the Internal Guard to transport food and fodder and protect the food routes and warehouses.

“The Imperial Guards must go into battle frequently to gain experience and polish themselves, so that their blades can remain sharp and their combat effectiveness can be maintained. Moreover, they must not only fight frequently, but also fight in rotation, so as to display the momentum and prestige of being the vanguard of the entire army.

"That is to say, there must be more than one Imperial Guard. When one goes out to fight, the others must stay to garrison the center. Do you two understand?"

They both nodded, and Zhang Wen then said, "So when we go to the battle of crossing the river, the commander-in-chief plans to let Zhu Shou be the vanguard, and I will guard the commander-in-chief's mansion?"

"No, you all will come with me across the river. If we can gain a foothold in Jiangzuo this time, the commander's office will certainly move there, and you won't have to stay behind to guard the area.

"So when we cross the river, you two will become my two fists and two sharp knives. Wherever the long knives point, they must be invincible. Only in this way can we rest assured that those who stay in Jiangyou will not have any disloyalty, and those newly surrendered generals will be willing to follow us and fight for our lives."

Zhu Shou nodded after listening to this and had no objection to it, but Zhang Wen hesitated and said with a bitter face, and after a long while he spoke in a dilemma.

"I'm not afraid of being a pioneer, but I'm afraid I won't be able to learn Brother Lu's family traditions. Do I really have to learn those arithmetic skills?"

"Is this what you're worried about?" Lu Jin smiled and said, "It would be better if you could learn arithmetic, but if you really can't learn it, then there's no need to force it.

"Your Sixth Regiment will be reorganized into a combined brigade like Zhu Shou's, with four musket battalions, one trap camp, one cavalry battalion, one artillery battalion, and two auxiliary vehicle battalions. You don't have to operate these weapons, but you have to know how to use such troops, how to arrange the battle formation, and what battle formation to use against the enemy in different situations. You just need to learn these.

"You don't have to go anywhere else for the next six months. Just follow Zhu Shou and train well here. If you have any questions, come and ask me." "Nine battalions of troops? That means I have almost 10,000 men under my command. That's a lot of troops. Brother Lu, have you figured out how I should expand the army?" Zhang Wen became excited when he heard that his Sixth Regiment was going to expand.

When he first joined the army with Lu Jin, the young and strong men from his and Zhu Shou's two villages combined had only 800 people. Now, each of them has nearly 10,000 men under their command. It seems like a distant past.

Lu Jin said immediately, "I have already thought of the people for you. The two most important battalions in this combined brigade are the artillery battalion and the trap camp. The soldiers in the artillery battalion do not need to be too old. We should select young and studious people, and then choose a young general. I think Qin Zhao from your sixth regiment is very suitable.

"The Xianzhen Camp is composed of warriors who are good at destroying cities and strongholds. We need to select the most skilled and brave warriors from the entire regiment. As for the generals, do you have any suitable candidates?"

Hearing Lu Jin's question, Zhang Wen pondered for a moment before saying, "I have three thousand-household battalion officers under my command. Qin Zhao has a family background in learning and is both civil and military. He is also the most educated among us, so there is no problem for him to be in charge of the artillery battalion.

"The remaining two are Zhang Liang and Li Jun. Although Zhang Liang is a brother of my clan, I know his ability. He is good at charging into battle, but it may be difficult for him to take charge of major events. I think we should let Zhang Liang take charge of the Xianzhen Camp.

"Li Jun was originally a general in charge of the front army under Kang Maocai. He is really good at setting up camps and deploying troops. We can let him lead the four musket battalions. What do you think, Brother Lu?"

"Okay, let's do as you said. Qin Zhao will take the artillery camp, Zhang Liang will take the trap camp, and Li Jun will take the musket camp." Lu Jin nodded and made further arrangements.

"During this battle on the southern front, many enemy generals surrendered. I still have two thousand households here, the Zhen brothers from Tongcheng, Zhen Yuanji and Zhen Yuanqi. You will assign them to the musket battalion. The rest of the chariot battalion and cavalry battalion will be recruited from the Tongcheng captives, and the generals will be selected based on the situation."

Zhang Wen nodded repeatedly after listening. When fighting on the southern front, he had been stationed in Tongcheng for a period of time. He also knew the situation of the Zhen family in Tongcheng. The Zhen family was similar to Zhu Liangzu of Lu'an and Miao Daheng of Dingyuan. They were all local tyrants who recruited militiamen to form their own armies. Now the Zhen family's father, Zhen Yanlong, was the battalion commander of the 12th Regiment of Miao Daheng, but his two sons were brought back by Lu Jin.

The Musket Battalion, the Formation Trap, the Artillery Battalion, and even the Chariot Battalion were actually all easy to arrange, except for the Cavalry Battalion. Not to mention Zhang Wen, even the cavalry from Zhu Shou's brigade had nowhere to go.

Just as the three were discussing how to form cavalry for each of them, the sound of horses galloping was suddenly heard outside the Marshal's Mansion. The three looked up when they heard the sound. This was in the city. Generally, those who dared to ride horses in the city were mostly in urgent military situations. Otherwise, who would have the courage to do so?

While they were still wondering what was going on, the sharp-eared Lu Jin had already vaguely heard voices shouting "a great victory" on the street outside.

"Great victory! Great victory! Our 36th Army Cavalry Regiment on the northern front completely wiped out the cavalry of the Yuan army led by Chelibuhua, captured the enemy general in battle, and captured thousands of enemy soldiers!"

"Great victory! Great victory! Our 36th Army Cavalry Regiment on the northern front completely wiped out the cavalry of the Yuan army led by Chelibuhua, captured the enemy general in battle, and captured thousands of enemy soldiers!"

Two consecutive shouts of great victory were heard on the street outside the Marshal's Mansion, and the news spread farther and farther. At this moment, Bao Yu, Li Shanchang, Yang Heng, and Lu Jin's adopted son Lu Pojun all ran over.

"Dad, Commander Zheng's Second Cavalry Regiment has won another victory. Here is the battle report." Lu Pojun quickly passed several old gentlemen and immediately handed the battle report to Lu Jin.

Lu Jin took it, glanced at it quickly, and then burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha, it's like someone sends you a pillow just when you're sleepy. Well, you two can take a look too." Lu Jin said as he handed the battle report to Zhu Shou and Zhang Wen. The two of them were immediately delighted after reading it.

Li Shanchang was puzzled when he saw this and said, "Of course we should be happy about the victory, but what does it mean that someone gave you a pillow when you are sleepy?"

"Haha, Mr. Bai Shi, you don't know that just now the three of us were thinking about how to organize two new cavalry battalions for the Imperial Guards, and we were worried about the lack of war horses. Look, this battle report says that three thousand war horses are being sent to us. Isn't it like someone giving you a pillow when you are sleepy? Hahaha." Lu Jin explained immediately.

Upon hearing this, Yang Heng took the opportunity to pat his horse and said, "Marshal, this is destiny. A righteous army will be assisted by God in every battle."

"hehe."

Lu Jin did not comment on this. He did not believe what the ancients believed in, that it was as if they were helped by gods. However, it did not stop him from promoting it, so Lu Jin did not refute it. Seeing that three people had come here, and Bao Yu was secretly winking at him, Lu Jin immediately knew that this was a matter related to intelligence.

Just when he was about to say something, Lu Jin saw Lu Pojun, his adopted son who had just delivered the battle report, standing next to him, and suddenly he had an idea.

"Pojun, you are 14 years old this year, right?"

Lu Pojun was stunned when he heard this, then nodded, "Dad, I am exactly 14 years old."

"Do you want to lead the troops?"

"Can I do this?" Lu Pojun asked hesitantly.

"There's nothing impossible about it. Look at Yang Huan, he is only 14 years old, and he is leading the artillery battalion very well. It just depends on whether you want to lead it." Lu Jin encouraged.

Upon hearing this, Lu Pojun immediately said, "Then I want to lead whichever unit my father tells me to lead."

"Okay, go and call Commander Ye Shengye, and then go with him to Haozhou to receive the horses and prisoners. Those prisoners will be your soldiers in the future."

Lu Jin patted his shoulder with satisfaction, then took out the custom-made goose-feather knife from his waist and put it in Lu Pojun's hand.

"You go and recruit soldiers from among the captives yourself. Those who are willing to obey you can stay, and those who are unruly can be killed with this knife to establish your authority. Then form a cavalry battalion, which will be under the command of Zhang Wen from now on."

Lu Pojun took the knife with both hands, looked at Lu Jin, then looked at Zhang Wen, and said immediately, "Yes, I'll do it right away."

"Go."

After watching Lu Pojun walk out with a knife, Lu Jin called Bao Yu to his side and asked him what was the matter.

Bao Yu immediately said, "Marshal, the personnel at Nanchang Station have arrived, and the person you asked us to find has also been found. However, the age of that person seems to be different from what you said. This person is already over 40."

"Is he already over 40?" Lu Jin was a little surprised. He only remembered a person named Wang Dayuan, whose hometown was Nanchang. He should be in his 30s at this time. Of course, it is also possible that he remembered it wrong.

Then I heard Lu Jin say, "Maybe I remembered the age wrong. I just heard that there is such a person. Just find him."

"Yes, I understand." Bao Yu immediately took the order and left.

(End of this chapter)