The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 129 Troop Training
They held Wang Jiayin in awe of his power and his title as the overall manager.

As for Jiang Han, their eyes held even more curiosity and admiration.

"General, you are truly brave! Even Cao Cao has fallen into your hands. We admire you!"

"Yes, yes, after this battle, the general's name will probably spread throughout Shanxi!"

"From now on, if we follow King Hengtian and General Shangshanhu, we will surely accomplish great things!"

He was showered with compliments, but Jiang Han simply smiled and responded to each one with neither arrogance nor servility.

After a few rounds of drinks and several dishes, it's time to get down to business.

A burly man stood up, holding a wine bowl, and said to Jiang Han:
"General, my name is Liu Guoneng, also known as Chuang Tatian."

"I have a matter I need your help with, General."

Jiang Han raised his wine bowl and nodded:

"Everyone here is a brother. If I can do it, I will do it without hesitation."

After hearing this, Liu Guoneng raised his wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp, then said:

"General, our men are only good at fighting when things are going well. They're okay at fighting the guards on ordinary days."

"But if they run into tough border troops, they will collapse at the first touch."

"Today, when I saw the soldiers under the general outside the city, I realized what a truly strong army is."

"I have a favor to ask, General. I would like to request that you help us train our troops as well!"

"As long as you, General, no matter what you want, just say so. Whether you need money, grain, or women, we can get them for you!"

Liu Guoneng's words immediately resonated with many of the leaders present.

They all realized that Jiang Han's Anse Camp was far more powerful than their rebel army.

If my men could train like that, wouldn't I have more confidence to seize territory and fight government troops in the future?
For a moment, the courtyard became much quieter, and everyone's eyes were focused on Jiang Han.

Jiang Han was also somewhat troubled after hearing this, as his soldiers were all from the border army camp and their combat strength was already quite good.

Apart from Wang Jiayin, the other rebels present were mostly composed of peasants and starving people, forming a beggar army.

First of all, the personnel base is already quite lacking, which is not something that can be trained overnight.

But Jiang Han couldn't say it directly, and he didn't want to spoil the fun for others at the banquet.

Jiang Han pondered for a moment, then nodded:

"Since Boss Liu has said so, I can't keep anything to myself."

"However, training troops is extremely costly, and weapons, provisions, and salaries are all essential."

"You all need to provide these yourselves; the women don't need to."

"I only want one thing, and that is horses."

“I will train you soldiers. For every two hundred qualified soldiers I train, you will exchange them for fifty strong horses and mules.”

"how?"

As soon as Jiang Han made this request, a collective gasp filled the hall, and the leaders who had been so eager just moments before now showed expressions of difficulty.

For these mobile rebel armies, horses and mules were their very lifeblood.

They moved back and forth, dodging the government troops' encirclement and suppression, relying entirely on their footwork.

Without horses, they can't run fast, and if they get caught by the main force of the government troops, they're doomed.

Trading fifty horses and mules for two hundred soldiers? That price seemed a bit hard for them to accept.

Just as everyone was in a dilemma, Liu Guoneng spoke up again:

"Leaders, we can't keep running like this forever, can we?"

"If you ask me, we should fight when necessary, instead of just running away!"

"Look at the current situation, isn't it all created through fighting?"

"If it weren't for the two tough battles fought by Hengtian King and General Shangshanhu, how could we have entered such a rich place as Taiyuan Prefecture?" Liu Guoneng's words were reasonable and well-founded, and they resonated with the leaders.

We can't live like stray dogs, constantly on the run, forever, can we?
Who wouldn't want a team that can fight tough battles?

Who wouldn't want to openly occupy a piece of land and develop it behind closed doors?

But all of this depends on one premise: being able to defeat the government troops; otherwise, they will only be chased all the way.

For a moment, all the leaders hesitated, and the hall fell silent again, with only heavy breathing.

Seeing the group's hesitant expressions, Wang Jiayin, seated at the head of the table, finally spoke.

He cleared his throat and laughed loudly:
"I see that you brothers are reluctant to part with your savings!"

"Brother Shangshanhu's demands are a bit high, but they are true; training soldiers is indeed not easy."

He turned to Jiang Han and said:

"Brother Mountain Tiger, what do you think of this?"

"Have each family select some of their smartest and most reliable young men and send them to you."

"You'd better put in some effort and help them train this first batch of people."

"Once these people have completed their training and returned home, we can have them teach others."

"In this way, everyone can learn how to train soldiers, and you won't have to lead so many people at once, which would be too tiring."

"As for the horses..."

Wang Jiayin waved his hand generously:

"I'll pay half for them!"

"Fifty horses for two hundred soldiers is indeed a bit too much for them."

"Once we've conquered a large territory, we can make them return it!"

Wang Jiayin's suggestion was a solution for everyone; they could learn how to train troops without incurring too much expense.

What reason would the leaders have to disagree?
They clapped and cheered, praising the noble character of Hengtianwang.

Jiang Han glanced at Wang Jiayin and sighed inwardly.

Wang Jiayin is indeed quite capable, and he has a rather bold and unconventional demeanor.

However, this seemingly generous approach also exposed some of his own shortcomings.

Are you not afraid of throwing good money after bad, like throwing meat buns to a dog and never getting them back?
This might be one of the reasons for his eventual downfall.

However, this plan was suitable for Jiang Han at the moment, so he nodded in agreement.

Having finalized the training arrangements, Wang Jiayin became even more enthusiastic and brought up a second matter.

"brothers!"

He raised his glass and said loudly.
"Now that Cao Wenzhao has been driven away, You Shilu is also about to collapse and will soon have to retreat."

"Once the main force of the government troops retreats, this prosperous Fenhe Plain will all belong to us!"

“Taiyuan Prefecture, Fenzhou Prefecture, and Pingyang Prefecture are full of landlords and wealthy people.”

"We should divide up the territory now, and then we can each go and make our own fortune!"

These words immediately piqued the interest of all the leaders, as seizing wealthy households and expanding their power were their primary concerns.

After some discussion, it was finally decided that the area would be roughly divided into two regions, north and south, with the prefectural capital as the boundary.

As the leader of the alliance, Wang Jiayin had the greatest power, so he naturally chose the wealthy Taiyuan Prefecture and its surrounding areas in the north.

Jiang Han, on the other hand, chose the Fenzhou Prefecture area to the south.

Although Fenzhou Prefecture is not as central as Taiyuan Prefecture, it is still a densely populated and resource-rich area. More importantly, Jiang Han is relatively familiar with that area.

After all, when he was in Shilou County, he robbed the Shanxi merchants around Fenzhou Prefecture.

(End of this chapter)