Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 49 Discussing Training Plan
After returning from teaching in the conference room, Li Mingyuan was not idle. He hurriedly ate dinner and then discussed the reorganization and training of the troops with Liu Pu.

"I will personally supervise the training of the Navy Sailor Corps, Cavalry Brigade, and Special Forces. The training of the Field Army and the Garrison Army will be in your charge."

"Prince, the reorganization of the army requires a lot of manpower, but I only have a hundred literate people under my command, which is far from enough to meet the needs of the normal operation of the Independence Army. Can you arrange some more manpower for me?"

"Aren't there more than 300 people in the Officers' Accelerated Training Course? You can recruit some emergency personnel from there first."

"I went to the crash course, but when the officers there heard that they were going to work in the General Staff, they all shook their heads and refused. They thought that working in the General Staff would mean being a staff member who gave advice and suggestions, which was not as exciting as fighting on the front line." Liu Pu said with a bitter face.

"Everyone doesn't understand the staff system, so there is this misunderstanding. You and I will go to the officers' crash course together tomorrow night, and I will help you explain to them the benefits of being a staff officer." Li Mingyuan comforted.

"I feel relieved when the prince says so." Liu Pu said.

"It's not good for the army to have a low literacy rate. Liu Pu, how about this? I will be responsible for explaining military knowledge to the Chinese officers, and you will arrange for your men to teach the soldiers to read."

"There are 120,000 Chinese people. I'm afraid that I can't teach that many people with just the literate people under me."

“It is very difficult to solve the literacy problem for everyone at once. You can divide the literacy classes into three categories according to the degree of urgency. The first category is the literacy class for senior officers above lieutenant colonel, the second category is the literacy class for middle and low-level officers, and the third category is the literacy class for ordinary soldiers.

The senior officers' literacy class requires each student to have the literacy level of a normal person, the mid- and low-level officers are required to have the literacy level to understand military works, and the ordinary soldiers only need to understand the general military order texts. "

"Learning to read is a long-term learning process. I cannot guarantee that I can turn all of them into knowledgeable scholars in a short period of time." Liu Pu was worried that Li Mingyuan was too eager for success, so he explained this in advance.

"I understand," Li Mingyuan nodded.

"But for a senior officer like Luo Dapao who has strong professional and technical skills but can barely read, you must teach him well. If he doesn't listen to me, I will teach him to read myself." Li Mingyuan said angrily.

Artillery is a high-tech industry, and in the second half of the 19th century, artillery technology was updated very quickly. The artillery currently in service will be eliminated in a few years.

Luo Dapao is very talented in operating artillery combat, but his low level of education is his fatal weakness. Li Mingyuan does not want him to be hindered in his military performance due to literacy problems, so he specifically lowered his military rank by one level and specifically asked Liu Pu to teach him well.

"Haha, after Luo Dapao was criticized by the prince, his enthusiasm for literacy has increased a lot. After the meeting this morning, he pestered me to teach him how to read."

While Liu Pu was talking about Luo Dapao, Luo Dapao in the military camp was still writing seriously.

"Ah Peng" Luo Dapao sneezed, rubbed his nose, and asked curiously, "I don't have a cold, why am I sneezing?"

"Brigade Commander, you've been writing for most of the day. Take a break." Luo Dapao's personal bodyguard said with concern.

"Little Six, come and see how my calligraphy is doing. Can it catch the eye of the prince?"

Luo Dapao put down his pen and stretched his sore right hand.

"Commander, do you want to hear the truth?" Xiao Liuzi asked carefully, looking at the three words "Luo Zhongguo" written on the paper.

"Of course I'm asking you to tell the truth. What? Do you look down on my handwriting?" Luo Dapao said with his eyes wide open.

Xiao Liuzi shrank his neck in fear, swallowed back the truth that he was about to say, and said insincerely, "The brigade commander's handwriting is good, much better than mine."

"Little Liu, you can only write your own name, Wang Liu, and you dare to compete with me." Luo Dapao said arrogantly.

"You can only write three characters, what's there to be proud of if you can write one more character than me?" Xiao Liuzi complained. Luo Dapao didn't care what Xiao Liuzi thought. He took the result of his work and looked at it for a while. The more he looked at it, the more proud he felt.

"Xiao Liuzi, accompany me to meet the prince tomorrow, and let the prince see Lao Luo's progress." Luo Dapao said happily.

"Captain, you can't let the prince see your handwriting, otherwise he will definitely criticize you for your poor handwriting."

"How dare you say my handwriting is bad? Get out and stand guard."

After Xiao Liuzi finished speaking, he realized that he had let the cat out of the bag. He didn't dare to stay in the room and immediately ran out to stand guard.

Speaking of literacy, Li Mingyuan thought of the fact that the Chinese Independence Army did not have a unified tactical manual, so he said, "Western powers all have military books specifically designed to guide soldier training. I want to use the time of the Chinese Independence Army's reorganization and training to compile an Infantry Manual to guide soldier training."

"Military guidance books are very necessary. If you need them, you can arrange for my staff to help organize the contents of the books."

"Compiling a book is no problem. You can assign a dozen staff officers to help me copy the contents of the Infantry Drill Manual."

Li Mingyuan was a mercenary in his previous life, so he knew a lot about the infantry drill manuals of various countries. It was not difficult for him to compile a new infantry drill manual based on the infantry drill manuals of other countries and the actual situation of the Chinese Independence Army.

"Prince, there's a Peruvian outside asking to see you." Li Mingyuan and Liu Pu had just finished discussing the infantry drill when a soldier came in to report.

"There should be news about Lustuart. Let him in."

"Prince, why would a Peruvian come to see us on his own initiative?" Liu Pu asked after the guards left.

"Last time, there was a Peruvian officer who surrendered voluntarily. I released him and went to negotiate a deal with the Peruvian president." Li Mingyuan briefly told Liu Pu about Rustuart.

"Your Highness really has a mind for a businessman." Liu Pu praised after listening.

"It's just a small trick," Li Mingyuan said modestly.

"I am Manuel, a humble man, and I am honored to meet you two adults." Manuel entered the gate and immediately knelt down and bowed according to Chinese etiquette.

After staying in the mine for a while, Manuel's outlook on life changed a lot. He thought that dignity and backbone were not as important as staying alive. So Manuel, who had never kneeled down to anyone, did not show any self-esteem of a Westerner, and knelt down cleanly and neatly.

"Get up, does your president agree to my request?"

"The president agrees to all your requests, but he has one small request." Manuel said.

"any request?"

"The president hopes that your army will stage a show, pretending to be defeated by our troops, and withdraw from the occupied city."

"I agree to your president's conditions, but I warn you not to go too far, otherwise the Chinese army will not let you go."

"We are well aware of the combat effectiveness of the Chinese army, and the president will definitely not deceive you," Manuel said cautiously.

(End of this chapter)