Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 815 The Sword Qi of the Ox-Sweeping Sword Washes Away the Might of the Soldiers (Part 1)
July 26th.

Du Wuji walked slowly to Xie Fuyao's camp. After inspecting the military law, he finally arrived at Xie Fuyao's command tent.

At this moment, Xie Fuyao was handling military affairs. When she saw Du Wuji enter the command tent, she only glanced up at him before continuing to work with her head down.

Du Wuji, not being a stranger, sat down to the side, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank it by himself.

However, as a military judge, Du Wuji was dedicated to investigating illegal activities in the army, but he also inevitably became cold-hearted and ruthless.

Upon seeing Du Wuji's demeanor, the military officers and clerks in the command tent immediately made excuses to leave.

Xie Fuyao shook his head helplessly: "Old Du, if you're really bored, why don't you go and inspect other camps? With you sitting here like a gatekeeper, I can't handle any military affairs."

Du Wuji sighed, "Where can I go, all alone, and with whom can I discuss this?"

Xie Fuyao sneered: "Old Du, let's not beat around the bush. Now your family and subordinates have all been taken back by the eldest son, and even Du Erlang has been properly buried. Don't tell me you can't find someone to confide in."

Du Wuji sighed again: "Of course I can find them, but every now and then they urge me to fight the Song traitors to avenge them. I... I can't agree, and I can't refuse, so I can only give them a perfunctory answer."

Xie Fuyao nodded in agreement, but there was a hint of helplessness on her face: "Old Du, let me give you some advice, you may not like to hear it."

"You said."

"The current situation is in the hands of the eldest son; whether to fight or make peace is ultimately up to him. But since he wants to fight, he will definitely consult with us local strongmen. Otherwise, where will the supplies come from? Will they be transported from Shandong? Or will he have to plunder the land in Henan!"
But if that's the case, why would Master Shi side with the eldest son? Is helping the eldest son exploit the people really more noble than helping the Jin invaders?

Du Wuji nodded repeatedly at these words, but then sighed and pounded his leg, saying, "I really can't swallow this insult."

Xie Fuyao simply shook her head and sighed as well: "You have to swallow it even if you can't. But it's not about making you swallow your anger, it's about making you hold your breath and unleash it all in the future."

"How to say?"

"Now that the eldest son has gained control of the entire Shandong, half of Hebei, and half of the Central Plains, he has the potential to swallow the whole world. At that time, the Song Kingdom will only be separated by a narrow strip of water. How can we let him survive alone? As long as we first destroy the Jin Kingdom and recuperate for a few years, we will not have to worry about not having a chance to take revenge."

Du Wuji could only nod, then asked another question: "By the way, has Master Shi had any private conversations with you?"

Xie Fuyao then began to show a worried expression: "Of course there are."

Du Wuji: "That's probably the same question: whether to pursue a civil or military career, whether to continue in the army or transfer to a local or central government position, and whether to go to Hebei or Shandong. That's about it."

"Old Du, what are you thinking?"

"People are less valuable away from home. If you can stay in Henan, you will naturally stay in Henan. Here you will have the help of fellow villagers and friends. Isn't it a hundred times better than Hebei?"

Xie Fuyao scratched his head: "Old Du, let me tell you clearly, staying in Henan will absolutely prevent you from taking command of the military. If you still want to stay in the army, you have to go to Hebei no matter what."

Du Wuji seemed to have already figured this out, but shook his head: "Of course I know that no matter how kind-hearted the eldest son is, he can't possibly hold onto military power."

To put it bluntly, no matter which side we align ourselves with again, we can't escape this ordeal.

"only……"

Xie Fuyao interjected, "It's just that we'll still feel panicked and uneasy."

Du Wuji felt as if he had exhausted all the anger he had in his life today.

Just then, some bugle calls and drumbeats were heard outside the camp. A trusted confidant quickly reported: "General, several thousand troops have arrived from the north. The Commander-in-Chief has sent an order saying that reinforcements have arrived and that we should not disturb them."

Xie Fuyao and Du Wuji exchanged a glance, then immediately got up and walked out of the camp.

They had long known that the Han army was a formidable force, but they didn't know just how elite it was.

The Han cavalry, exhausted from their long march after the major battle, arrived at the battlefield. Meanwhile, the Loyal Army suffered heavy casualties in a surprise attack by the main Jin force.

Both were in a terrible state.

Although those who understand military affairs know what military miracles these two Han armies created, they have never seen what the complete Han army actually looked like.

There are quite a few people with the same idea.

The two had just ridden out of the camp when they saw generals emerging from other camps as well.

The banner with Chinese characters was now in the way, clearly indicating that Liu Huai had personally come out of his camp to welcome the Wu Cheng army heading south.

The crowd gathered towards the banner with Chinese characters, while the dust on the official road grew ever closer, with scouts constantly coming and going, reporting intelligence.

Unlike other generals who came to the military later in life, Guo Qingzhi was only somewhat astonished.

Scouting and scouting is a very arduous and dangerous job. Generally, once they get close to the main force, they will be recalled.

However, Wu Chengjun remained quite vigilant, demonstrating his alertness during the march.

"What is this sound?"

After listening intently for a while, Xie Fuyao said, "The song should be a military song."

Du Wuji asked in surprise, "Singing while marching?"

Xie Fuyao picked at her ear and whispered, "You can't possibly sing the whole song, but since you don't lose your rhythm while singing, you must have sung quite a bit on a regular basis." Du Wuji nodded in agreement, and was about to say something when his attention was drawn to the lyrics, and he couldn't help but listen attentively.

The generals of Chenzhou listened attentively, and as the army drew closer, they repeated the explanation several times until it was finally clear to everyone.

It is:

When everyone is of one mind, even mountains can be shaken.

Only loyalty and righteousness can soar to the heavens.

My lord is as loving as my parents.

Those who violate military law are no longer free.

The commands are clear, and the rewards and punishments are credible.

I would brave fire and water without hesitation!

I report to the nation above, and save the common people below.

Slay all the Jin traitors, and seek a title of nobility.

Thousands of men sang in unison, their music not as melodious and beautiful as celestial music, but powerful and resonant. Coupled with their synchronized steps, gleaming armor, and fluttering banners, their imposing presence soared to the heavens. This caused the generals of Chenzhou's army to show expressions of astonishment.

Although Liu Huai was riding his horse high, he kept glancing at the newly allied generals out of the corner of his eye. When he saw that they were all extremely shocked, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The Han army placed great emphasis on formation training, both on horseback and infantry.

This is not only about training soldiers' obedience, but also an important means of maintaining and improving combat effectiveness.

Counterintuitively, an organized army marches much faster than an army that lets sheep roam freely.

I march in formation, and once I arrive at the battlefield, I can easily change formation and start fighting. You arrive at the battlefield in a scattered manner, and you have to re-form your ranks amidst the chaos. How can you fight me?
Given the Han army's influence in the region, this system was quickly adopted by the two major local educational institutions, Wei Xue and She Xue. Students had to stand in formation according to their designated positions before doing anything else.

To Liu Huai, this was perfectly natural; he had done the same thing when he was in kindergarten in his previous life, so what was so strange about it?

However, those in Shandong who were knowledgeable about military affairs were all taken aback when they saw this.

Starting formation training from a young age... is this training the elite soldiers for the next fifty years?

Of course, the generals in Henan were unaware of all this. They secretly compared the gap between their own troops and Wu Cheng's army, and couldn't help but feel somewhat disheartened.

Even a random contingent of Han soldiers displayed such discipline and discipline. Even if some generals in Henan still harbored reservations about reorganizing the army, was persisting truly worthwhile?
Don't forget, this Han army marched a long distance from Hebei. Although it wasn't a forced march, it still covered thousands of miles, yet they still maintained such high morale and fighting spirit, which speaks volumes.

"Stop!"

Liang Yuan'er, who was at the forefront, gave a loud order, and then the military flag waved. All the generals of the Wucheng Army raised their flags and signaled with flags.

The massive army of six thousand men halted its march abruptly and stood motionless. The singing ceased, and a moment of silence fell, broken only by the sounds of breathing and the occasional neighing of warhorses, revealing that this was a living army.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, the soldiers of the three command divisions of the Wucheng Army should have been 6,321, but 6,118 are present. Please give your instructions, Commander-in-Chief!"

Liang Yuan'er came to within ten steps of the banner, dismounted, bowed to Liu Huai, and then loudly requested his command.

Without hesitation, Liu Huai immediately ordered: "Form square formations, then change to horizontal formations!"

"Form a square formation, then change to a horizontal formation!"

Wu Chengjun immediately sprang into action. Under the command of officers at all levels, he formed small square formations of fifty men each in less than fifteen minutes.

The small square formations connected left and right, and under the guidance of the flags, they changed direction and formed a large horizontal formation along one side of the official road.

Liu Huai nodded with satisfaction, then asked loudly, "Are my troops mighty and powerful?!"

The generals from Henan dared not be negligent and responded in unison: "Indeed, they are mighty and are the elite of the land."

They initially thought this was merely a display of Liu Huai's formidable military might, and although the effect was astonishing, it was about time to end. However, Liu Huai continued to loudly inquire, "Do you want to command such elite troops?!"

How could you not want to?

That's so damn tempting!
But everyone knew that once the word "want" was uttered, it would mean that the Chenzhou Army in Henan would completely lose its independence and accept a complete reorganization by the Han Army from top to bottom.

For these generals from powerful families, it was tantamount to handing over their lives and fortunes to others.

While everyone hesitated for a moment, Xie Fuyao dismounted, bowed deeply, and said to everyone, "Commander-in-Chief, I naturally want such elite troops, but I lack the wisdom and talent to train them into such elite soldiers. I beg you, Commander-in-Chief, to personally instruct them."

This humble general is willing to go to Hebei to witness the might of the eldest son's army.

Needless to say, the generals of Henan all echoed his words, but Du Wuji, standing to the side, was completely stunned.

You, Xie Fuyao with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, actually made your decision a long time ago, yet you're still hiding it from me. What happened to our past friendship?!

(End of this chapter)