In this realistic war game, only I understand the course of the battle.

While inspecting the supply depot, Commander Zhou passed by the drill ground and saw the newly raised flag bearer whip a troublemaker to the ground with thirty lashes, then repeatedly practice the three sets of movements: engaging the enemy, close combat, and resisting cavalry.

A bearded deputy centurion leaned over and whispered, "Commander, this kid seems to be practicing... military formations!"

"I know." Zhou Baihu's gaze did not leave the training ground.

"Military formations are the exclusive skills of military families, and they are never easily taught to others." The bearded man lowered his voice even further. "Could it be... that he is a descendant of some military family who lives in seclusion?"

Commander Zhou did not answer immediately. He had fought for half his life and had seen countless junior officers leading troops.

Ordinary flag-raising drills involve having people line up, hold their guns, and thrust forward.

But the Li Jingzhong in front of me is different.

The front row features a combination of guns and shields, the back row has an extra-long spear for support, and the middle row is equipped with both bows and maces.

From fifty paces to close-quarters combat, every layer is covered by fire.

The twelve-foot and fourteen-foot spears overlapped and intertwined. When the enemy rushed to the front, they first bumped into the extra-long spears in the back row, and then the twelve-foot spears in the front row.

With two layers of gunfire, cavalry couldn't break through, and infantry couldn't get close.

This is not something an ordinary infantryman could think of.

"Have you investigated his background?" Zhou Baihu suddenly asked.

"I checked last time," the white-faced, beardless deputy centurion replied. "He enlisted at sixteen to take his father's place, and has been in the army for six years. His resume is clean and there's nothing unusual about it."

"Six years." Zhou Baihu pondered these two words. "Some things can't be understood in just six years."

On the training ground, Shen Du had already stopped the troops. Nine people gathered around him, listening to him explain the key points of the formation.

Shen Du didn't launch into a long speech. Instead, he drew a dagger from his waist and drew a simple diagram on the muddy ground beneath his feet.

"These are the enemy." The tip of the knife touched a spot in the mud. "These are us."

Then a circle was drawn around it, and the circle was divided into three layers: front, back, and middle.

"When the enemy is within fifty paces, the middle rank of arrows is not for killing, but to disrupt their pace. When the enemy's pace is disrupted, their speed in rushing to the front line will be slower. This allows the spears in the front rank to strike more accurately."

The blade tip moved to the outer edge of the circle. "The flanks are the weak points of this formation. In close combat, when within ten paces, the middle row should abandon their bows and grab maces to cover the flanks. Use the maces to smash the armor and the blades to slash the wrists. The three of you are here to cover the weak points."

The tip of the blade touched the very front of the circle. "The instant the cavalrymen charged to the front of the formation and reined in their horses, the flying axe struck, slashing at the horse's legs and head. Once the horse fell, the cavalrymen were nothing but meat on the ground."

Shen Du put the dagger away. "Got it?"

"Got it!" all nine answered in unison. Zhao Laoliu's voice was the loudest.

"Also, starting tomorrow, we'll add one more activity each day: weighted running."

Shen Du's gaze swept across everyone's faces.

"Fully armed, run twenty laps around the drill ground. After that, practice bayonet thrusting, five hundred times a day for each person. When thrusting, shout 'Kill!' in unison, both the voice and the movements must be synchronized."

"The middle row should practice throwing, including throwing axes and maces, until they can hit the target with their eyes closed."

"On the battlefield, if you hesitate for even a moment, not only will you die, but your brothers next to you will too. Mastering these skills is what makes you a true fighter on the battlefield!"

"Interesting," Zhou Baihu suddenly said, then turned and walked towards the central army. The two deputy Baihu exchanged a glance and followed him.

"Commander, should we call him over and ask him?" the bearded man asked.

"No rush." ​​Commander Zhou didn't stop walking. "Heroes and valiant men should meet on the battlefield."

At this moment, smoke and dust were rising from the direction of the central command tent.

It wasn't cooking smoke, but dust kicked up by messengers rushing back and forth.

Shen Du didn't inquire further. Instead, he led the nine men back to the camp, giving each of them plenty of dry rations and water, and instructed Zhao Laoliu to oversee the others cleaning their weapons.

Then Shen Du sat down next to the grain cart, closed his eyes, and began to recall carefully.

At this time, the Yan army did not choose to attack Jinan directly; Dezhou was the first stop for the army's southward march.

Dezhou and Jiyang. These two cities are the outer defenses of Jinan. Only by capturing them can the Yan army reach the gates of Jinan.

Although Li Jinglong had just suffered a defeat at Baigou River and retreated to Dezhou with low morale, he still had 100,000 remnants of his army and reinforcements from the imperial court.

In ancient times, even if the attacking side had several times the number of troops as the enemy, it would still suffer huge casualties when facing the geographical advantage of the defending army.

When Shen Du opened his eyes and stood up, he found that the entire camp was in full swing.

From the direction of the central command tent, the sound of messengers' horses' hooves echoed.

The shouts of the supply battalion grew louder and louder as the grain carts were pushed, creaking and groaning.

The furnaces in the craft camp glowed red on half of the camp, and the clanging of blacksmiths was even more frequent than during the day. The iron hooks of the ladders needed to be quenched, and the axles of the crash vehicles needed to be reinforced.

Several soldiers carried newly carved ladders past the training ground, and the sounds of whetstones rubbing against blades could be heard from every corner of the camp.

Only a few days after the battle of Baigou River, before the bandages on the wounded soldiers had even been completely removed, the army was about to move again.

Zhao Laoliu squatted beside the grain cart, a stub of an unlit pipe dangling from his mouth. His eyes followed the messenger's horse's hooves a few times before he took the pipe out of his mouth and tapped it on his knee.

"The supply battalion is loading provisions overnight, the artisan battalion is building ladders, and messengers are coming in waves." He lowered his voice, "This is no small operation."

A thin-faced soldier beside him chimed in, his voice strained: "Sixth Uncle, where are we heading south to?"

"Where else could we fight?" Before Zhao Laoliu could answer, another old soldier threw his whetstone on the ground. "It's probably Jinan."

It's not surprising that seasoned veterans who have fought many battles can glean insights from these subtle details. Jinan is the gateway to Shandong; taking Jinan would allow them to advance south to Huaiyang. Anyone who has fought for several years understands this.

"No matter where you move," Shen Du said calmly, "practice your military formations well, and don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."

Old Zhao grinned. "Understood, Master Li."

In the evening, just after a day of drills, the messenger arrived.

"By order of the centurion, all officers shall immediately report to the central command."

Shen Du instructed the other soldiers to organize their training weapons, then got up and followed the messenger deeper into the camp.

The central command tent remained unchanged. The guards stood in imposing armor before it, torches blazing. When Shen Du entered, Commander Zhou was sitting behind his desk, a map spread out before him.

Commander Zhou glanced at the small flags and, without further ado, announced, "The army will set off in three days, heading towards Dezhou."

Shen Du thought to himself, "Just as I expected."

Li Jinglong had stockpiled over a million tons of grain and supplies there. If he could capture Dezhou, the Yan army would have no worries about its rear when it marched south.

"Jingzhong, I saw you training the troops by the drill ground."

Zhou Baihu tapped his fingers on the table.

"Four in front, four in back, three in the middle; a twelve-foot spear paired with a fourteen-foot spear; bow and arrow, mace and throwing axe—who taught you all this?"