I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 151 Military Posture and Frog Jumps

Tang Zhao nodded in satisfaction. "Now, let me introduce to you the chief instructor for this training, Wu Jiayi, and the team leaders."

Wu Jiayi led twenty guards from the Protectorate General's Mansion, their faces tense, to step forward and stand behind Tang Zhao, saluting the trainees below.

"For the next two months, the chief instructor and team leaders will be leading your training. Remember, as soldiers, your first priority is to obey military orders. Anyone who dares to disobey will be punished, or even expelled! Do you understand?!"

"I understand!"

Tang Zhao took the gong mallet and struck it heavily. "Now I announce that the trial begins!"

Tang Zhao handed the megaphone to Wu Jiayi, who bowed and accepted it. After Tang Zhao stepped down from the stage, Wu Jiayi shouted into the megaphone, "Captains, return to your teams!"

The guards of the Protector General's Mansion jogged down the stage and stood in front of their respective teams.

"The first thing upon entering the camp is to memorize the military regulations!" Wu Jiayi pulled a booklet from his sleeve and read aloud, "The first rule is: love the motherland and love the people..."

Tang Zhao walked out of the training ground, took the water Gu Ci handed her and gulped it down in one go. "I was so thirsty! Oh, why is my husband here?"

Gu Ci took the handkerchief from Chunfeng's hand and gently wiped the sweat from Tang Zhao's forehead. "Barto, let me ask you, is Dorji's goods ready?"

Tang Zhao looked completely bewildered. What was this Baldogi? Did she even know him?
"Dorje, the son-in-law of the chieftain of the Guli tribe who guards the tea-horse trade route," Gu Ci took the empty cup from Tang Zhao's hand, poured her another cup, and reminded her, "the landlord's foolish son."

"Oh, oh," Tang Zhao suddenly realized, "that square-shaped merchant from Tibet."

Tang Zhao asked curiously, "Is he leaving? Didn't he say he would stay for a while?"

“Yes, news came from Dorje’s family, ordering him to return immediately,” Gu Ci paused, “He still has a batch of sheep and horses that haven’t been sold, and he asked if you wanted them.”

After thinking it over, Tang Zhao accepted the offer without hesitation, "Shall we exchange it for glass?"

"Hmm, but don't just use the mirror, add a glass cup too."

"No problem!" Tang Zhao tilted his head back and downed the tea in his cup. "I'll go to Liulifang to get the goods right away."

Tang Zhao couldn't wait to eat breakfast, so he grabbed a few pieces of bread and rode away with Gu Ci.

On the training ground, after reading out the military regulations, Wu Jiayi began the first training task: standing at attention.

"Heels together, toes apart, legs straight, abdomen in, chest out, arms hanging down with middle fingers touching the trouser seams, chin slightly tucked in, eyes looking straight ahead," Wu Jia emphasized while demonstrating the movements, and the team captains corrected the trainees' movements one by one.

The trainees were full of doubts, feeling that this training method was unheard of, but they didn't dare to ask directly, so they stood there obediently.

As the sun slowly rose, the trainees gradually became unsteady on their feet, never realizing that standing could be such a grueling experience.

"Stand still! Who's moving around?" Each team leader patrolled back and forth, correcting the posture. "How many times have I told you? You have to report before you move, and you can only move after you get permission!"

"Captain, how long are we going to have to stand here?"

The captain went up and kicked him, saying, "Shout 'Report' before you speak, are you deaf?"

The man who had been kicked got up and stood up, his voice loud and full of resentment, "Report!"

"Say!"

"Captain, how long are we supposed to stand here?"

"The first month's standing time is shorter, four hours."

The man's voice cracked, "Four hours? You call that short?"
"Captain, why do we need to practice standing posture? Anyone can stand properly. Whether you stand well or not doesn't affect your ability to fight."

"What is the first priority for joining the army?" Wu Jia stood next to the man who asked the question.

The man nervously swallowed as he looked at the head instructor, who was a head and a half taller than him, and remained speechless for a long time.

"Wu Shisan!" Wu Jia roared at the man standing beside him, "How do you manage your soldiers?"

Wu Shisan lowered his head. "Chief Instructor, don't be angry. I'll teach him properly."

The man trembled uncontrollably when he heard the captain practically spit out the words "good" through clenched teeth.

Wu Jia snorted coldly and turned to inspect the other squads.

Wu Shisan slowly repeated the question, "What is the first priority for a soldier?"

The man racked his brains but couldn't remember. Wu Shisan told him, "Obey military orders, understand?"

The man nodded.

Wu Shisan roared, "Shout it two hundred times!"

The man stared wide-eyed, his voice nearly hoarse from shouting under Wu Shisan's fierce gaze, but he still stubbornly asked why they had to stand at attention.

Wu Shisan laughed angrily, "Step forward!"

The man took two steps to the left and left the group.

"Don't want to stand at attention, huh? Then do frog jumps!" Wu Shisan put his left hand on the man's shoulder and pressed him down with a little force.

He Zhi felt as if a heavy stone was pressing down on his shoulders, forcing him to squat on the ground.

"Have you ever seen a frog jump with its hands behind its back?"

He Zhi nodded.

"Jump! Jump five hundred times, and I'll exempt you from standing at attention today."

He Zhi was overjoyed, "Really?"

Wu Shisan sneered, "I, the captain, always keep my word. If you can't do it, you'll have to stand for another half hour."

“Okay!” He Zhi readily agreed, then put his hands behind his back and hopped forward like a frog in a field.

When the others saw this, they thought that although the posture was awkward, it was still better than standing still, so they also asked to do frog jumps.

Wu Jiayi hadn't originally intended to intimidate the trainees on the first day, but since they were courting death, he was naturally willing to grant their wish.

"Anyone who wants to do frog jumps to avoid standing at attention, step forward!"

Nearly 70% of the trainees stepped out of the line during the trial.

"Crouch down, put your hands behind your back, and jump!"

At Wu Jia's command, the training ground instantly transformed into a grassy pond, with frogs hopping around everywhere.

He Zhi initially felt very relaxed, but gradually, he felt his legs becoming heavier and heavier, his feet getting closer and closer to the ground, until he could no longer jump.

"Jump up! If you don't leave the ground by more than three inches, it doesn't count!" Wu Shisan looked at the count, "Two hundred and thirty-one, two hundred and thirty-two, two hundred and thirty-three, this one doesn't count, continue!"

He Zhi gritted his teeth and continued jumping. When he reached the 327th jump, he suddenly knelt down and fell to his knees, unable to speak for a long time.

Wu Shisan grabbed the man by the back of his collar and lifted him up, "Keep jumping!"

"I can't jump anymore, Captain. I was wrong. Can I stand at attention instead?" He Zhi's legs started shaking uncontrollably.

Wu Shisan asked, "Is there a problem with standing at attention for four hours every day?"

He Zhi replied weakly, "No."

"louder!"

He Zhi shouted, "No!"

"Return to the team!"

He Zhiru listened to the celestial music, and with his trembling legs, he slowly made his way back to the team like an old man on his deathbed.

The others gradually couldn't hold on any longer and asked to return to the team.

An hour later, while 30% of those who chose to stand at attention were resting and eating breakfast, 70% of those who chose frog jumps were still standing at attention under the scorching sun, hungry.

As Qi Jiming watched their miserable state, he munched on a pancake made of soybean dregs and wheat, thoroughly enjoying himself: "A bunch of idiots! Even a fool could tell that the first day's training exercises were the easiest, yet they insisted on being clever and making demands of the captain. No wonder they're going to get themselves killed!"

Sure enough, after Qi Jiming had eaten his fill and rested for a long time, the seventy-one people finished their punishment. After a quick meal, they lay on the ground for less than an incense stick's time before Wu Jiayi blew his whistle, and everyone regrouped and continued to stand at attention.

Zhao Zhao: Because I got caught in the rain, I have to tear the umbrella to pieces.

Author's note: Do you remember the fear of being dominated by military training?