Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 382 The Oath of the Han Soldiers (Combined Chapter)
Chen Dao felt that every bluestone slab under his feet was frighteningly hot.

He raised his head, staring at the huge Han flag on the high platform, maintaining a straight posture, not daring to breathe loudly.

An autumn butterfly landed on Chen Dao's shoulder, its wings brushing against his neck. He felt it, but didn't dare to raise his hand to brush it away.

Chen Dao had just graduated from Yi Wu Academy and passed the military selection for his troops, becoming one of the first students of the Great Han Military Academy.

In fact, Chen Dao originally entered the Jixia Military Academy, but after completing his basic training, he happened to be there when the academy was expanded and upgraded to the Imperial Military Academy of the Han Dynasty.

Thus, he and the young students who enrolled at the same time stood beside those renowned generals and officials, witnessing together the official opening of the Great Han Military Academy.

Chen Dao was at the forefront of the new recruits' ranks.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Zhang He...

These prominent figures, renowned throughout the region, are now standing in the same row as Chen Dao.

There were no individual banners, no official entourage; everyone stood under the banner of the Han dynasty, except for the large banner on the high platform embroidered with the character Liu.

Once you enter the college, you are all students, and there is no difference in status or position.

There were thousands of people in the drill ground, but it was completely silent.

Only one sound can be heard.

The voice said, "...Those who enter this gate are all comrades, and all under this banner are Han soldiers! There are no personal names within this gate, and no distinction of rank among the Han soldiers!"

The voice said, "...A man should fight on the frontier, and fame should be gained on horseback! We, the Han army, point our swords outward! Those who fight amongst themselves are enemies of the Han!"

"Fellow soldiers and fellow disciples, heed my command!"

"Raise your sword!"

The person on the platform drew his sword and stood in front of him.

With a "whoosh," all of Liu Bei's men drew their swords, the tips pointing to the sky, and held them upright in front of their chests.

The sound of the knife being raised didn't seem to come from the ears, but rather from the soles of the feet, a heavy, chilling buzzing sound.

After the synchronized sound of swords being drawn, the other generals followed suit, drawing their swords and holding them upright with the hilts resting on their hearts.

This is a sword salute, which everyone is familiar with, but it can't be done as neatly as Liu Bei's troops.

Chen Dao gripped the brand-new issued sword, the hilt pressed against his chest, feeling as if his heart was about to leap out of his chest.

He secretly raised his eyelids, trying to see the legendary General Wei on the high platform through the blade.

But General Wei also held his sword upright, and the sunlight shone on the blade, obscuring his face. All that could be seen was a blurry figure in black armor, seemingly no different from the armored soldiers below the platform.

Only the silver character "Liu" on the banner shone brightly.

"Swear an oath with me!"

The voice from the stage broke the silence once more: "I am a man of the Great Han!"

The eight hundred followers echoed in unison: "We are men of the Great Han..."

"Only slay the enemies of the Han!"

"Only slay the enemies of the Han..."

The other generals followed suit, reciting the oath in unison, their voices gradually growing louder.

"We vow to expand our territory and conquer the vast wilderness!"

"Proclaim the might of the Han Dynasty to the four seas!"

"We will not betray our comrades, nor will we oppress the Han people!"

"Expand our territory abroad, and end internal warfare!"

Thousands of people raised their swords as a pledge, and by the end, they were perfectly aligned, their voices shaking the heavens and the earth.

"It is vowed!"

"Waaaaah..."

A long and heavy bugle call sounded.

On the stage, General Wei sheathed his sword and bowed to the audience.

Everyone quickly and neatly bowed in return.

Chen Dao hurriedly followed suit, his movements as stiff as a scarecrow in a field.

As he stood up, he glimpsed General Wei lighting a bonfire on the high platform.

Flames rose, seemingly burning through the ropes, and the drapery covering a stone tablet on the high platform fell down.

On the stone tablet, the bright red characters 'Great Han Military Academy' appeared next to the flames.

Chen Dao felt burning hot all over, as if the fire on the high platform had set fire to his heart.

Under the Han banner, regardless of rank, the Han army proclaims its power abroad and quells internal strife; this is the true nature of the Han army.

……

The recruitment and 'further training' of the Great Han Military Academy will continue indefinitely.

As one of the first batch of students, Chen Dao stood behind Zhao Yun and received a plaque engraved with "Great Han Warrior".

This nameplate is his identity badge. There is a '壹' on the front and five numbers on the back: 一一一一一.

The character "壹" on the front refers to the first term of the Great Han Military Academy.

The numbers on the back refer to a battalion, a unit, the first team, the first platoon, or the first soldier.

Chen Dao was at the forefront, his number being five ones.

This is just a student ID number within the academy; it does not represent an actual military rank.

The nameplate has no name on it, but if a soldier graduates successfully, the nameplate will stay with him for life, serving as both a memento and proof of his status as a brave soldier of the Han Dynasty.

Zhao Yun, who was in front of Chen Dao, received 11000.

Zero represents the temporary commander of this batch of trainees, but Zhao Yun himself is also a trainee, only he was selected as the commander of the first battalion and first unit of this batch.

This has nothing to do with Zhao Yun's actual military rank. The three temporary squad leaders of this unit were Zhang He, Xu Huang, and Bian Bing, who were not Zhao Yun's subordinates.

Zhang He's squad, whose platoon leaders were military commanders from Jinan, Pingyuan, and Dongjun, had no connection with Zhang He whatsoever.

Chen Dao was in a certain place, and among the students were several Marquis Qu and Marquis Tun.

The academy's organizational structure was completely disrupted. However, since the new recruits lacked leadership experience, temporary positions were given to generals like Zhao Yun who were there for further training.

Liu Bei did not separate generals from new recruits because promotions were based on military merit, not academic achievement.

Whether you're a general or a soldier, regardless of your rank, everyone is a student in the academy.

After all, the academy is not a recruit training camp; it is a place designed to train generals.

The military commanders were both students and teachers.

The instructors in the academy are not fixed; experienced veterans with low ranks also serve as teachers to generals.

Whether it's a new recruit like Chen Dao or a great general like Guan Yu or Zhang Liao, they are all students in the academy and have the opportunity to become teachers. As long as they have a skill, they can teach the big shots.

Identity, status, class, and faction are all blurred in the academy.

Once inside the academy, all equipment and benefits are the same, only the numbering is different.

But military orders are strict.

Everyone must obey the principal's orders, the coach's orders during class, and the orders of the temporary commander are also valid.

Those who break the rules and disobey military orders will be stripped of their uniforms and kicked out, and can forget about ever being a regular soldier again.

However, if anyone suffers unfair treatment, they can report it to Principal Liu, who is also known as Liu Bei, the Military Academy Chancellor.

Everyone has raised their swords and sworn an oath. If anyone bullies their comrades, no one will sympathize with them even if they are killed. In this day and age, oaths are pledged with one's life.

This was obviously done on purpose.

Once inside the academy, personal names are forgotten; only comrades remain, nothing else matters. As for the faction of retainers and courtiers… at least in the military, there is only the ‘academic faction’.

As long as the gun is firmly in control, factional struggles are not a major problem. Regular troops are all from the same lineage, making it difficult for them to escalate into serious armed conflicts.

Private armies will certainly still exist, but they are not recognized by the imperial court. Even Guan Yu's private army is not considered part of the Han army; they are merely private hired laborers.

Retainers and private soldiers could only be classified as laborers and were not allowed to wear armor or carry crossbows.

Liu Bei allowed the existence of private armies, but the regular Han army could only be trained in academies.

In other words, no official could promote their private soldiers to the rank of general.

Without a college diploma, one is not recognized by the imperial court and can only work as a private laborer. Even if a mercenary has military merits, he cannot become an official.

Liu Bei doesn't practice recommendations here.

However, the official career advancement path is open—every Han Chinese is eligible to enter a military academy. Upon enrollment, one becomes a soldier, and upon graduation, one is likely to become a junior officer. Those who perform exceptionally well can directly join the Imperial Guard.

Whether during their training period or after graduation, promotions are possible as long as they perform tasks effectively; it's all transparent.

Then... if you have any real skills, why would you be a private soldier?
Isn't it better to go to college?

Military academies don't charge tuition, provide meals, offer military pay, and provide equipment; military families can also receive subsidies...

However, admission requires review and examination, and recruits must also go on missions during their basic training period. Only those who pass the mission assessment can enter the academy.

The investigation mainly involved checking household registration. Applicants had to be at least 15 years old, have lived in Liu Bei's territory for more than two years, have proof of official settlement or county household registration, and have records of paying rent or taxes for the past two years.

This is mainly to prevent outside spies. It is easy for ordinary people to settle down and live there for two years and pay rent and taxes, but for outside spies, the time cost is too high.

The exam tested both literary and martial skills. For the literary skills, all that was required was to reach the elementary level of literacy and be able to write documents.

For martial arts, it's a physical test; as long as you meet the standard, you're good to go. The requirements aren't high, but if you have poor hearing or eyesight, there's really no way to pass.

The assessment of tasks is not based on martial arts skills, but on accumulating merits by completing tasks—it follows the task system of Liu Bei's troops, and it does not necessarily require force; intelligence can also be used.

Entering the military academy meant becoming Liu Bei's student, which could also be considered as being from the same school as the emperor.

Regardless of one's past background, the status of being a fellow disciple of the emperor is incredibly appealing...

……

Although the Great Han Military Academy has only recently been established, it already has graduates.

They were the eight hundred veterans chosen from among Liu Bei's troops, who entered the battlefield with him.

These are veterans under Liu Bei, and also those who were previously involved in the establishment and enrollment of the Linzi Military Academy. Most of them are now officers, some of whom have already risen to the rank of Military Commander, while others are Liu Bei's personal guards.

Yes, Guan Yu and Zhao Yun both needed further training, but their soldiers graduated first.

Because Liu Bei wanted Zhao Yun and other generals under his command to set an example for the generals sent by the court officials.

We should also let graduating soldiers set an example for new recruits.

Liu Bei immediately issued some graduation certificates, which the graduating soldiers received one by one.

The graduation certificate not only included the document, but also a nameplate. Their nameplates were listed as "Camp A" and the numbering started with "A".

The first class of the Great Han Military Academy consisted of only one battalion; the "A" battalion was a tribute to its predecessor, the Qingzhou Military Academy.

In addition to the nameplate, there is also a pheasant crown and a sword.

The pheasant crown was the headdress of military officers, with pheasant tails inserted on the left and right sides. High-ranking generals would use sable tails.

The saber was the standard horizontal sword used in Liu Bei's army. Due to its lightness and practicality, it has now become a popular style throughout the eastern part of the Han Dynasty.

The blade has a new inscription, simply the two characters 'Han Shi' (汉士), which is a symbol of status.

This means that those who graduate from the academy are no longer martial artists, but scholars with a master, an academy, and both literary and martial skills, only they do not study traditional Confucian classics.

From now on, perhaps the character '士' will have a completely new meaning.

……

……

In fact, most generals are not able to continue their studies at academies normally for the time being.

Because of the actual situations that occurred in various places, only one battalion was set up in the first phase, so that students could only take turns to study.

Xu Rong had to return to Youbeiping from Youzhou because the Wuhuan people had started causing trouble.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Xianyu Fu will face considerable pressure in Lulong this winter.

This was mainly because Qiuliju died.

Gongsun Du of Liaodong killed Qiu Liju, and Gongsun Du even sent someone to Linzi with Qiu Liju's head, requesting Liu Bei to fulfill the reward.

Several years ago, Liu Bei did indeed issue a reward with Zong Yuan, the then Protector of Wuhuan, offering 100 million coins for the heads of Zhang Chun, Zhang Ju, and Qiu Liju.

Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju were indeed killed, and Wang Zheng even bestowed titles upon them as a result.

After escaping beyond the Great Wall, Qiuliju did not cause any further trouble in the following years.

Liu Yu implemented a policy of appeasement in Youzhou and revived the trade market.

Whether it was the Xianbei or the Wuhuan, Liu Yu treated them all as equals, and his fair treatment of them had won over the foreign tribes over the years.

Of course, this was mainly because both the Xianbei and Wuhuan were having a hard time at the time. The Xianbei were fragmented, and the Wuhuan were severely weakened in the struggle between Liu Bei and Zhang Chun, while the strength of the Han Dynasty in Youzhou remained intact.

The Xianbei and Wuhuan were enemies, and the various Xianbei tribes also had their own enemies. They were weak, poor, and fighting amongst themselves, so they no longer had the ability to rob the Han Dynasty. Of course, they could only honestly do business.

Liu Bei did indeed leave a very good foundation for Liu Yu in Youzhou. Liu Yu's policy of pacification in recent years has not been wrong, because the Han Dynasty can actually earn more through normal trade.

It's not that expanding territory is bad, but the main problem is that the Han people currently have little motivation to expand into the land north of the Yanshan Mountains.

The climate and land beyond the Great Wall were difficult to cultivate the grains of the Han Dynasty, and the minerals were also difficult to mine, so it was only suitable as a place for raising horses for the time being.

The Xianbei and Wuhuan people were skilled at raising horses and sheep, and under normal trading conditions, their costs were actually lower than those of the Han people who raised horses and sheep themselves.

The desire to expand territory is actually determined by the production environment and economic benefits.

If cold-resistant and wind-resistant grain varieties were available, and the northern climate warmed up slightly, and relatively advanced agricultural tools such as the curved plow became widespread, then the Han people would naturally venture northward to find land.

As long as farming is profitable, no matter where you are in the north or south, even the most remote and undeveloped lands will become coveted territory.

— People these days aren't unwilling to reclaim wasteland, but in many places, the cost of reclaiming wasteland far outweighs the benefits. If they can't grow food and still have to fight wars, then no one is willing to invest.

Under Liu Yu's reassurance, Qiu Liju had originally planned to obediently submit to the Han Dynasty and become a horse herder.

But Gongsun Du killed Qiu Liju at this time.

Qiuliju's son, Louban, was still young and could not command respect, while his nephew, Tadun, was in his prime. Almost all of Qiuliju's remaining followers had joined Tadun.

Tadun was already hostile to the Han Dynasty, and Qiuliju died at the hands of Gongsun Du, so the Liaoxi Wuhuan under Tadun's leadership once again became irreconcilable enemies.

Moreover, either Tadun is mentally challenged, or he conspired with Gongsun Du to deliberately kill Qiuliju.

Instead of seeking revenge against Gongsun Du in Liaodong, he began to invade Youbeiping, specifically targeting the Guangping iron mine and the Rushui copper mine.

The person Gongsun Du sent to Linzi was named Yang Yi. He was a member of a collateral branch of Yang Qiu's clan. His background was very similar to that of Liu Bei and Gongsun Du; they were all small, oppressed branches of large clans.

It seems that those who make it big in Youzhou are mostly from collateral branches of the family...

Moreover, like Liu Bei, Gongsun Du and Yang Yi both separated from their clans. Gongsun Du was extremely ruthless in suppressing his own clan in Liaodong, and Yang Yi almost wiped out the power of the main branch of the Yang clan.

Moreover, Liaodong was also learning from Liu Bei's policy of official land reclamation and was vigorously promoting the knowledge of the "Agricultural Policy." They even followed Liu Bei's example by issuing a tender order and mobilizing Liaodong gangs to jointly exterminate hundreds of powerful families...

Currently, there are practically no powerful clans left in Liaodong Commandery, a situation very similar to that of Qingzhou—Liaodong is doing exactly what Liu Bei does, a master at copying others' homework.

"Renowned scholars such as Guan Ning and Bing Yuan all praised General Wei for his benevolence, trustworthiness, and love for the people. However, he disliked classical studies and committed excessive killings against the gentry, thus losing their hearts... But in our lord's view, General Wei's policies are all practical and effective methods for governing the world, and we should emulate them..."

Yang Yi asked Liu Bei, "General Wei's strategies have been followed by my lord without question. In General Wei's opinion, can my lord be considered a virtuous minister of the court?"

To be honest, this really does count as...

Everything was done in accordance with Liu Bei's policies. Even though Gongsun Du's motivation was to strengthen his own power, he completely respected the imperial decrees. Even the killing of Qiu Liju was based on Liu Bei's bounty order. No matter how you look at it, he was a good minister and should be commended.

(End of this chapter)