Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 221 Eight Hundred Thunder Guards

"You...you mean?" Li Xian's heart skipped a beat.

Although Li Xian had a vague guess about Liu Jianjun's unspoken plan, his heart still skipped a beat.

He glanced at Wang Bo beside him subconsciously, but Wang Bo immediately stood up, making a move to avoid him.

Liu Jianjun grabbed him, glared at him, and then looked at Li Xian, saying, "Alright, let's talk about the great achievements. Last time, Feng Xiaobao was just going through the motions and was welcomed as a triumphant army, but that was because your mother deliberately gave him a chance to gild his reputation. We are different. At least this time, the achievement of taking down Wugu City is not enough."

Li Xian wanted to say that during the Battle of Wugu City, he and Liu Jianjun not only did not contribute much, but even violated military regulations. How could they possibly be summoned by the Empress Dowager? At least that's how it seemed, given that the Thunderclap Bomb could not be exposed yet.

But seeing Liu Jianjun's enthusiastic expression, Li Xian wisely kept quiet.

Liu Jianjun continued, "Of course, even if Wugu City's contribution is enough, our timing is not yet right."

"The timing isn't right?"

"Well, it's not just that the timing in Luoyang is a bit off, ours is also a bit lacking." He paused, then gestured with his mouth towards the southeast: "Those eight hundred humanoids have been trained, but some areas still need further training."

Li Xian nodded and didn't ask Liu Jianjun what other training was needed.

Liu Jianjun then said, "As for what this great achievement is... I've already thought of it, it's the domestic city."

"Domestic city?"

Li Xian was slightly surprised.

Gungnae City is located more than 100 miles southeast of Wugu City. It is a veritable important town in Goryeo. According to Xue Ne, there are 20,000 troops stationed there. According to regulations, the garrison in Yingzhou City should number 8,000, but only 4,700 are actually registered. Therefore, Gungnae City is definitely a tough nut to crack for Yingzhou City.

However, if they could capture the domestic city, this achievement would definitely allow them and Liu Jianjun to return to Luoyang in triumph.

“That’s right.” Liu Jianjun nodded and continued, “Guonnam Castle is the most important natural fortress between Goryeo and our Great Tang. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have sent 20,000 troops to garrison it. It’s no exaggeration to say that if we take Guonnam Castle, Goryeo will be an undefended backyard in front of our Great Tang. Our Great Tang soldiers can march straight into Goryeo’s territory at any time. Such a feat… is definitely enough!”

Li Xian nodded and asked, "Then... are you planning to use the Thunderclap Bomb?"

In Li Xian's view, it was indeed possible to capture the city of Yingzhou with less than 5,000 troops, but the prerequisite was to use the Thunderclap Bomb.

After all, Li Xian had already witnessed the power of the Thunderclap Thunder when attacking Wugu City. With only 800 soldiers, it was still able to achieve a devastating effect against Wugu City's 8,000 defenders. If it were to fight against the domestic city, even if the effect was somewhat reduced, it shouldn't be a big problem.

"The Thunderclap Bomb will certainly be used, but it cannot be used like it was in Black Bone City."

Liu Jianjun's eyes gleamed with shrewdness. "Wugu City's surprise attack was aimed at psychological intimidation. The people in the domestic city must have heard the news by now. Although they don't know the specifics, they will definitely be on guard against the Heavenly Thunder."

"Furthermore, the city defenses of the domestic city are stronger than those of Wugu City, and there are more garrison troops. It is probably not so easy to blow open the city gate with a few rounds of thunderbolts."

"What should we do?"

“We need to change our tactics, but I haven’t figured it out yet.” Liu Jianjun shook his head. “It’s secondary that we know nothing about the city in the country. Moreover, our names must be on the list of those who have made this great contribution. Only in this way can we achieve our goal of returning to Luoyang. I’ll think about this some more.”

"Let's talk about something else first, Lao Wang."

Liu Jianjun looked at Wang Bo and continued, "You will be in charge of the resettlement and initial training of those eight hundred people. Just follow the regulations I gave you before, starting with discipline and physical fitness, and help them adapt to the climate and pace of the North as soon as possible."

"It would be best to train them all before playing in the domestic cities."

“I understand!” Wang Bo solemnly accepted the order.

"It starts early tomorrow morning. Xianzi and I will go and take a look then," Liu Jianjun added.

……

The next day, early in the morning.

Li Xian was thinking about the training that Liu Jianjun had mentioned yesterday, so he got up early. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Liu Jianjun standing outside the door, looking very energetic.

"You got up early, so I don't have to wake you up." Liu Jianjun smiled and put his arm around Li Xian's shoulder.

……

When the two arrived at the newly built camp in the southeast corner of Yingzhou City, the sound of hurried assembly could be heard. Wang Bo stood on a temporary high platform with a stern face, watching the eight hundred men assemble.

The assembly ground was the ten-acre open space in the middle of the camp.

Li Xian was also slightly surprised at this moment.

This group of eight hundred people was somewhat unexpected for him.

He had expected to see a crooked and disorganized army, but these eight hundred people gathered in just a dozen breaths. Moreover, these eight hundred living people standing together did not even have any heavy breathing. The expressions on their faces were extremely resolute, just like a battle-hardened army.

Liu Jianjun leaned closer and whispered, "Don't be surprised. Apart from throwing stones, these people only practice obeying orders. If they can't even do this, then Xue Da is too useless."

"Just practicing throwing stones?"

Li Xian now had a vague idea of ​​what Liu Jianjun was up to. Considering the thunderbolts he had previously created, it was clear that Liu Jianjun was building a "thunderbolt throwing battalion".

However, Li Xian was still a little confused. The thunderbolt that Liu Jianjun made weighed at least three to five pounds each. If it was thrown by manpower, not to mention the problem of the killing distance, just in terms of carrying capacity, how much of this thing could be carried?

If the Thunderclap Bombs are all used up, wouldn't these people be at the mercy of others?
"Yes, you'll see in a bit." Liu Jianjun nodded and said no more.

At this moment, Wang Bo noticed Li Xian's arrival. He nodded slightly on the stage, then turned to the eight hundred people standing solemnly below and said in a stern voice: "Today's training subjects are precision throwing and team coordination! Each team, move to the designated area!"

Upon receiving the order, the previously silent ranks quickly and orderly dispersed, forming small teams and heading towards the designated pits and low wall areas along the edge of the training ground.

The movements were clean and efficient, without any hesitation or slackness.

Liu Jianjun pulled Li Xian along and headed towards the nearest training area for a small team.

Before the ten soldiers were several oddly shaped stones. Some of the stones resembled small clubs, with a slightly larger front end, about the thickness of a fist, and a slightly smaller end, probably smaller than a wrist.

Before Li Xian could even ponder the origin of this strange shape, the squad leader had already raised his command flag and shouted, "Aim! Throw!"

Immediately afterwards, the soldiers standing in front of Li Xian threw the strangely shaped stones in their hands with great effort. Their throwing posture was quite unique, holding the "handle" of the stone and rotating it.

The stones flew swiftly toward the bullseye on the ground ahead.

"Eighty paces!" a clerk nearby announced the distance aloud.

Li Xian was slightly startled.

Eighty paces is a distance far beyond what an ordinary soldier could throw a stone by hand, and it is almost close to the effective range of some inferior crossbows. Moreover, judging from the landing point of the stones, although not all of them hit the bullseye, most of them were concentrated in the area around the target, which shows that the accuracy was quite remarkable.

"Target, target appearing behind the trench!" the squad leader ordered again.

As the command to lead the troops fell, the soldiers adjusted their posture, leaned back slightly, and swung their arms out at a more daring angle.

This time, the stone flew higher, clearing an obstacle that resembled a low wall and a trench, before falling towards the target position that was faintly visible behind it.

“One hundred and twenty steps!” the clerk shouted once again.

Li Xian's pupils contracted slightly.

This distance exceeds the accuracy range of most crossbows, and only some powerful bows and crossbows can achieve it.

These soldiers, relying solely on their arm strength and special throwing skills, were able to throw stones weighing several kilograms so far!
Liu Jianjun chuckled and whispered, "How about it? The training wasn't for nothing, was it? This thing is shaped like the thunderbolt I envisioned. Unlike arrows, which lose their destructive power when shot far, this thing, once it hits the spot and explodes, has almost the same destructive power." As he spoke, Liu Jianjun beckoned to the squad leader who had given the order. After the squad leader came over, Liu Jianjun leaned in and whispered something to him, and the squad leader jogged away.

When the team returned, he was carrying a small wooden box. When the box was opened, there were twelve wooden handles arranged in three rows and four columns. Li Xian only glanced at them before his pupils shrank.

This wooden handle... looks just like the stones the soldiers throw!

To be precise, they are almost identical, the only difference being that these wooden handles appear to be hollow, with a thin rope at the end dangling to the side.

The pale face of the captain also showed a mixture of heat and heart palpitations.

Li Xian instantly realized something. He couldn't help but ask, "This...this is?"

Liu Jianjun chuckled, took out a wooden handle, and showed it to Li Xian.

Sure enough, the wooden handle was exactly the same as the stone that the soldiers threw, except that the front end was no longer made of wood, but of a metal similar to lead or iron, forming a column about the thickness of a fist.

"Listen to my command!" Liu Jianjun suddenly shouted, "Everyone! Retreat a hundred paces away! Find cover! Quickly!"

Wang Bo reacted very quickly, immediately repeating the order in a stern voice and waving his hand to signal.

Although the eight hundred soldiers were confused, their long-term rigorous training had conditioned them to react instinctively. Without hesitation, they quickly retreated and hid behind the pits and low walls that had been dug in advance at the edge of the training ground, leaving only pairs of wary and curious eyes exposed.

In the center of the drill ground, only Liu Jianjun, Li Xian, and the pale-faced squad leader holding a wooden box remained.

Although Li Xian knew the power of the Thunderclap, he couldn't help but feel nervous watching it being thrown at such close range.

Moreover, he was also curious about what this newly improved thunderbolt would be like.

At this moment, Liu Jianjun patted the leader of the team on the shoulder, signaling him to step back as well, while he himself stood alone in the open space.

He weighed the heavy, wooden-handled, metal-headed thunderbolt in his hand, took a deep breath, and his face became somewhat solemn.

The next moment, he looked around to make sure everyone was at a safe distance, then hooked the thin rope at the end of the wooden handle with his index finger and pulled hard!
A bluish smoke instantly emerged from the end of the wooden handle.

Liu Jianjun took a step back, his body taut like a bowstring, and swung his arm out, forcefully throwing the smoking thunderbolt forward!

The whole movement is done in one go.

Li Xian's gaze followed the trail of green smoke intently. The next moment, a thunderbolt struck the ground.

There was a brief moment of silence.

But just as doubt arose in Li Xian's mind, in the next blink of an eye—

"boom!!"

A violent explosion rang out, accompanied by a ball of crimson flames and thick black smoke rising into the air at the point of impact, instantly expanding and engulfing several straw figures and wooden shields piled up nearby!
Soil and wood fragments spread violently in all directions. Even from dozens of steps away, Li Xian could feel a wave of scorching heat rushing towards him, and the ground beneath his feet trembled clearly!
A moment later, the thick smoke slowly dissipated, revealing a charred, shallow crater on the ground. The original straw man and wooden shield had vanished without a trace, leaving only some burning remains and scattered fragments.

silence!

Deathly silence!

A hundred paces away, the eight hundred soldiers stared wide-eyed and gaped, their faces filled with disbelief, horror, and bewilderment.

Some people swallowed unconsciously, their Adam's apple bobbing; some clenched their fists involuntarily, their knuckles turning white; and some even trembled slightly, their eyes revealing fear.

Li Xian glanced at them, a hint of smugness creeping into his heart.

Compared to them, I, who was already mentally prepared, was undoubtedly much calmer.

This is what it means to remain calm in the face of change.

At that moment, Liu Jianjun stood still, as if he had done something insignificant, patting non-existent dust off his hands. Then he turned to face the soldiers who were still in shock and shouted, "See clearly? This is the weapon you will be using in the future, the Thunderclap!"

Liu Jianjun's voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet training ground, drawing everyone's attention.

He then raised another unlit thunderbolt in his hand and said, "I know that many of you are definitely not convinced. You think that what future can you have by practicing throwing stones all day? The only reason you are allowed to stay is because the Cotton Ecological Park gives you generous pay!"
"But now, you've seen it!"

Liu Jianjun's voice suddenly rose, "What you're practicing isn't stone! It's thunder! It's divine punishment that can terrify the enemy and make their souls fly away!"

"And you are the ones who wield this power of divine punishment!"

"From this day forward, every stone you throw will be a death warrant for the enemy! Every bit of strength and accuracy you hone will determine the outcome of a battle, and even the fate of a city!"

At this moment, the man who had been standing in the team hesitated before stepping forward and asking, "This... Chief Secretary Liu... is such power truly within the reach of human beings?"

His supporting role was too obvious; even Li Xian noticed it. Liu Jianjun had been talking about battles and ownership, but he suddenly steered the conversation towards what human power could possess—it was so abrupt.

Sure enough, Liu Jianjun picked up the conversation, nodding and saying, "That's right! This power belongs to the Great Tang, to the one who gave you this mission and this opportunity!"

As he said this, his gaze slowly turned to Li Xian.

Li Xian was stunned, his eyes widening.

But Liu Jianjun's voice suddenly rose, shouting, "It was His Highness Prince Pei! It was His Highness who saw your potential! It was His Highness who withstood the pressure and transferred you from Chang'an to this northern frontier! It was His Highness who trusted you and entrusted this heaven-sent power to you!"

"Salary?" Liu Jianjun scoffed, his disdain evident. "That's just the minimum! Following Prince Pei, achieving unparalleled merit, and bringing honor to your families and ancestors—that's the future you should be thinking about!"

As he spoke, he paced back and forth, making eye contact with as many soldiers as possible.

“What you throw day after day is not stones! It is the power His Highness has bestowed upon you! It is the path of merit His Highness has paved for you!”

His words were full of implications and repetition: "Think about it, without Your Highness, you might still be in the cotton workshops of Chang'an, minding the endless spinning machines and accomplishing nothing! It is Your Highness who has given you the opportunity to wield power and achieve great things!"

Li Xian had a vague idea of ​​what Liu Jianjun was doing. He straightened his chest and looked calmly at the eight hundred people.

Liu Jianjun continued, "Your loyalty and your bravery will be intertwined with His Highness's glory! His Highness's future is your future! His Highness's achievements are your achievements! To be loyal to His Highness is to be loyal to your own lives and to your future of bringing honor to your ancestors!"

He raised another thunderbolt, but this time, his movement seemed to carry a sense of solemnity:
"Remember! The thunder in your hands comes from His Highness's trust! Your future glory depends on His Highness's guidance! From this day forward, you will no longer be employees of the Cotton Ecological Park, but His Highness Prince Pei's personal guards, the Thunder Guards!"
"It is the sharpest sword and the strongest shield in His Highness's hands!"

Liu Jianjun paused here, then raised his voice again, shouting: "Tell me! For whom do you use your strength? To whom do you dedicate your loyalty?!"

After a brief silence, the soldiers, guided by these progressively instilled and repetitive words, subconsciously, or rather, driven by collective emotion, responded with a thunderous roar:

"For His Highness Prince Pei!!!"

"Loyal to His Highness Prince Pei!!!"

The voices converged into a frenzied torrent, and everyone's face showed excitement and worship. They cheered and crowded around Li Xian, kneeling on one knee, looking up at him with burning eyes.

Li Xian was moved by this wave of passion. He looked at the fervent and dependent gazes directed at him and was deeply shocked.

From this moment on, these eight hundred people were no longer just employees of the cotton ecological park. Under Liu Jianjun's shaping, they had become his private soldiers who were loyal only to him, Li Xian.

He looked up and saw Liu Jianjun.

Liu Jianjun was looking at him with a smile in his eyes.

……

(End of this chapter)