Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 295 A Thousand Pieces of Gold for Bones, Forged in Fire

A thousand pieces of gold to buy bones.

However, once the bones have been purchased, they need to be tempered to become steel!
The fervor generated by the 140,000 taels of silver lasted only one night in the military camp.

The next day, as dawn was breaking and the first rays of sunlight struggled to pierce the thin fog of southern Guangdong, the camp was filled with a peculiar atmosphere that mixed the smells of alcohol, sweat, and satisfaction.

Many soldiers barely slept a wink last night. They placed the heavy ten taels of silver beside their pillows, and would reach out to touch it every now and then to confirm that the cold, hard texture was not a dream.

An old soldier from Guangxi had already planned it out: the money would be enough to build three new tiled houses for his family and buy a few yards of new cloth for his wife and children.

He served in the army for more than a decade, and this was the first time he realized how valuable his life was.

In another tent not far away, Li Tianjing, a new recruit from Guangdong, didn't think that far ahead. He only knew that the ten taels of silver would ensure his family wouldn't go hungry this winter and that his seriously ill mother would have money to buy medicine.

He even wondered if, once he had saved enough money, he could buy two acres of his own land like the wealthy families in the village.

Even the veterans of the Beijing Garrison and the Xuanda cavalry, who were used to receiving rewards, felt their hearts burn with excitement at the emperor and Marshal Lu's generous gift.

They whispered among themselves, reminiscing about their past exploits while fighting alongside Marshal Lu, their words brimming with pride and honor.

However, in this peaceful and even somewhat languid atmosphere, the piercing sound of a bugle call suddenly shattered the tranquility of the morning like a sharp dagger!

"Waaaaah—!!!"

The voice was sharp and urgent, carrying a urging and cold killing intent, a stark contrast to the revelry of the previous night.

It was like a bucket of ice water poured over the heads of every soldier still immersed in fantasies of wealth.

"Emergency gathering!!"

"Everyone, get to the drill ground! Quickly!!"

The officers' shouts and the sound of whips lashing the tents rose and fell.

All the soldiers, whether they had been clutching their silver and grinning foolishly or tossing and turning in bed the night before, were mercilessly driven out of their warm quilts.

They hurriedly put on their armor, their faces still showing the confusion of a hangover and the resentment of having their sweet dreams disturbed.

But the strict military discipline meant they dared not delay for a moment, and they could only stumble and rush toward the huge training ground.

On the high platform, Lu Xiang-sheng stood with his hands behind his back, his expression cold and stern.

His gaze swept over the chaotic crowd below the stage, his eyes devoid of any warmth, only displaying an iron will.

The cool morning breeze fluttered the "Lu" banner behind him, scattering the last vestiges of hope in the soldiers' hearts.

Zhou Chao first held a scroll of yellow silk edict in his hand, stepped forward, came to the edge of the high platform, and read it aloud to the thousands of soldiers below.

"By imperial decree, we will execute the thunderous law to rebuild the spirit of the army!"

This opening statement was like a thunderclap, striking the hearts of thousands of soldiers and instantly making them tense!
Many people instinctively straightened their backs, and the confusion and resentment on their faces were replaced by shock.

It wasn't an order from the governor, nor an order from the viceroy, but—a secret edict from the emperor!
This means that everything that happened next was not Lu Xiang-sheng's decision alone, but represented the supreme will of the young emperor far away in Nanjing!
Zhou Chaoxian's voice continued, cold and clear, each word like molten iron, slamming into everyone's ears:

"The current military system is riddled with problems, the garrisons are corrupt, and the recruited soldiers are arrogant and unruly. I am deeply troubled by this and cannot sleep at night. I hereby appoint Lu Xiangshan to the southern region of Guangdong to take swift and decisive measures to break down the old and establish the new, thus setting a standard for a strong army for our Great Ming!"

"This is not just about governing the army in Guangnan, but about establishing laws for all armies in the world! You are all the beginning of the new army of the Great Ming Dynasty, and role models for all soldiers in the world!"

By the time he finished speaking, the audience was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The soldiers looked at each other, their eyes reflecting the same shock and bewilderment.

They may not understand what "gui niang" means, but they understood the weight of the words "to establish laws for the armies of the world".

Everyone realized that this did not look like an ordinary military campaign, but a radical reform personally orchestrated by the emperor!
Lu Xiang-sheng stood on the high platform, watching the complex expressions on the faces of the soldiers below, from bewilderment to shock to commotion, but his heart remained unmoved.

He himself knew that what he was working on was not just the lives of 14,000 people, but also the future prototype of the entire Ming army.

Immediately afterwards, the completely new organizational structure, which had never been heard of before, was made public:
First, establish the "squad" as the cornerstone of the battle.

Gone were the vague notions of the past, such as the "wu" and "shi" (units of soldiers). The new army used the "squad" as its smallest combat unit, with ten men per squad. They marched together, fought side by side, and shared life and death. This was the brotherhood of the new army.

Secondly, the method of forming a mixed army was established.

This was the most impactful and uproarious clause in the entire military order. When Zhou Chaoxian read out the specific details, the deathly silence below the stage was finally broken, turning into countless suppressed buzzing sounds.

The composition of each class is subject to extremely strict regulations:
Two veterans of the Beijing Garrison: one was the squad leader, the core backbone of the squad, responsible for relaying orders, maintaining military discipline, and teaching combat skills; the other was the deputy squad leader, assisting the squad leader and acting as the "judge" in the ranks, with the authority to deal with cowards and disobey orders on the spot. This was the "backbone of the squad".

Five Guangxi wolf soldiers: the main assault force of the squad. Their bravery and wildness, guided by the discipline of the veteran soldiers of the Beijing garrison, will become the sharpest "wolf fangs" on the battlefield. This is the "squad's blade".

Three new recruits from Guangdong: They were the weakest in physical strength and combat skills, but they were not cannon fodder in the squad. One served as a scout, using the dialect and terrain advantages to conduct reconnaissance; the other two were auxiliary soldiers, responsible for taking care of the squad's food and loads, as well as providing support to the wolf soldiers and veteran soldiers of the Beijing garrison in battle, and replenishing their arrows and weapons. This was the "eyes and ears and flesh and blood of the squad."

In this way, a ten-man squad becomes like a small, mobile battle formation. The discipline and combat skills of the veteran soldiers of the Beijing garrison are the "eyes and skeleton" of this formation, stabilizing its shape; the ferocity of the wolf soldiers is the "spears and blades" that thrust forward, unstoppable; and the new recruits from Guangdong are the "blood and foundation" that ensures the formation's continuity and uninterrupted supply of provisions. These three elements complement each other and are indispensable. Thirdly, a completely new command system is established.

Above the class level, there are four levels in sequence: platoon, company, battalion, and regiment.

Three squads form a platoon, each with a platoon leader. A platoon consists of thirty men, and the platoon leader is either the best squad leader from the Beijing Garrison or an exceptionally brave wolf soldier.

Three platoons form a company, headed by a company commander. The entire company consists of about one hundred men. The company commander is a captain or centurion-level officer from the Beijing Garrison. There is also a "training officer" who is responsible for explaining military law, enforcing discipline, and assessing morale.

Five companies formed a battalion, each with a battalion commander. The entire battalion consisted of approximately five hundred men, and the battalion commander was a commander of a thousand men from the Beijing Garrison or a trusted general personally selected by Lu Xiang-sheng.

Four battalions formed a regiment, headed by a brigade commander. The entire regiment consisted of approximately two thousand men, and the brigade commander was a senior officer from the Beijing garrison brought by Lu Xiang-sheng.

In accordance with this method, these 14,000 soldiers, from diverse backgrounds and numerous factions, were cleanly and efficiently regrouped and reassembled.

The entire army consists of seven regiments.

Each regiment consists of four battalions.

Each battalion consists of five companies.

Each company consists of three platoons.

Each row has three squads.

From squad leader to brigadier general, appointments are made at each level, and the command system is like a large net, firmly trapping every soldier within it.

The original wolf soldier leaders, former members of the Beijing garrison, and cavalry officers were either absorbed into the new command system or completely sidelined.

After the military order was read out, the entire room fell silent, followed by an barely suppressed commotion.

"What's going on? When have we Guangxi people ever needed northerners to teach us how to fight?"

"Exactly! Why is he the squad leader and I'm just a soldier?"

"That spineless guy from Guangdong, assigned to our class, isn't he just going to drag us down?"

The most intense unrest occurred within the wolf soldiers' ranks.

They were accustomed to gathering together with people from the same village or clan, led by their own chieftain, and were fearless in the face of death.

Now they are being forcibly separated and placed among a group of strangers, and they have to take the orders of a "bureaucratic soldier" from the capital. His wildness and pride make them instinctively resist.

Several hot-tempered wolf soldiers began shouting and cursing in their dialect, their eyes fixed on the direction of the Beijing garrison soldiers with hostility.

However, just as the commotion was about to escalate, they all remembered the heavy ten taels of silver in their pockets.

That was no small sum; it was a huge amount of money that they might not have been able to accumulate in the past few years.

This money was given to them by this cold-hearted governor, or even by the emperor.

Whom are they targeting by causing trouble?
It's like throwing your own money away!
They're making trouble for the emperor and the governor who make them rich!
More importantly, the wealth and power that Lu Xiang-sheng displayed yesterday weighed heavily on everyone's minds like two mountains.

A man who can casually take out 140,000 taels of silver to reward the three armies—how could they possibly fathom his power and methods?

Yesterday he was a god of wealth, today he's a god of death.

This stark contrast filled them with awe.

Then, a magical scene happened.

The shouting wolf soldiers gradually quieted down as their companions pulled them back and whispered words of persuasion.

Their faces were still filled with resentment and frustration, but in the end, none of them dared to openly stand up and provoke them.

The weight of those ten taels of silver, at that moment, transcended their pride and anger, becoming an invisible shackle that temporarily restrained their wildness.

Lu Xiang-sheng took in everything below the stage. He knew that money could only buy temporary obedience, and the true spirit of the army had to be forged in blood and fire.

But this was already a perfect start, and what he needed was this precious opportunity to win the hearts and minds of the people in order to completely reshape the army.

Lu Xiang-sheng didn't say another word, but simply made a gesture to the officers below the stage.

"Commanders of all regiments, battalions, and companies, step forward! Receive the rosters and begin reorganization immediately!"

At a command, nearly a hundred officers who had been waiting stepped forward and rushed toward the high platform.

A radical reshuffling has officially begun.

(End of this chapter)