In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

At this moment, surrounded by a crowd, Li Yuanchang walked onto the makeshift martial arts platform, which was the highest point.

He did not announce any orders for marching or fighting, and kept it secret. Apart from his guards and Xue Rengui, everyone thought it was just a military mobilization to guard the border.

He merely announced "military reforms".

The original nine combat units were too scattered, and without any training or coordination among them, their combat effectiveness could not be consolidated.

So he made a sweeping decision and divided the Kyushu Prefecture troops into three battalions: "A", "B", and "C", and assigned them specific functions.

The Jia-class battalion was composed of 8,000 soldiers from Liangzhou Prefecture, all of whom were cavalry. Apart from increasing the number of brigades, there were not many changes, and it was almost entirely the same personnel.

The B and C battalions each had 6,000 men, composed of three detachments of state troops.

The Yi Battalion is positioned for mobile support and long-range strikes, and mainly selects skilled horse archers. All the repeating crossbows, armor-piercing arrows, and even binoculars brought from Chang'an are equipped with them.

Their combat power increased dramatically in an instant.

The C-class battalion was positioned for reinforcement and rearguard action, and each soldier was equipped with a broadsword and a shield, making them heavy infantry.

Originally, Li Yuanchang wanted to apply for a batch of Mo Dao (陌刀).

The Mo Dao of the Tang Dynasty was unparalleled in the world, and its craftsmanship could not be replicated even in the 21st century. It was said that once the Mo Dao was drawn, both men and horses would be shattered.

He shone brightly during the An Lushan Rebellion.

But when Li Yuanchang inquired about this with Cheng Yaojin, he immediately abandoned the idea, because it was simply not feasible.

The Mo Dao was too heavy, not only unsuitable for long journeys, but also required extremely high skill from the wielder. Among the entire army of 20,000, perhaps only the humanoid monsters of the mountain tribes could lift it.

Being able to pick it up is one thing, but using it well is another; that requires training.

So after weighing the pros and cons, he gave up and switched to a lighter broadsword. Although it was a bit inferior, it was still a weapon that even ghosts on the battlefield feared.

After dividing the three battalions, Li Yuanchang further subdivided them, from army to battalion, then to regiment, brigade, and team.

A regiment consists of 1,000 men, a brigade of 100 men, and a squad of 10 men, each with a commander and deputy commander, plus a flag bearer.

After the complex change in the military structure, apart from the Liangzhou soldiers, the other two battalions were somewhat unaccustomed to it.

Therefore, in the subsequent appointment of officers, Li Yuanchang selected one hundred junior officers, such as squad leaders, from the Liangzhou soldiers.

He was directly promoted to the rank of brigade commander of two major battalions.

This ensured control over all troops while also helping all soldiers adapt to the new combat units as quickly as possible.

As for the selection of battalion and regimental commanders, Li Yuanchang simply conducted open selection.

Any officer-level soldier from the eight prefectures could participate, and Li Yuanchang personally assessed their martial arts skills and command abilities.

After two days of selection, the results were finally in.

The commander of the Yi Battalion, also known as the top officer, was Lu Zhong, a veteran general of the border army. He was formerly a captain in Xingzhou Zhechong Prefecture, but he was an expert archer who could hit a willow leaf from a hundred paces away. He was also experienced and good at adapting to changing circumstances.

The deputy military advisor was Liao Jie, the former military advisor from Fengzhou.

The six regiments were headed by military commanders, namely Zhou He, Yang Tuo, Yang Zi'an, Luo Yang...

The military advisor of the Bing Battalion, Cao Hong, was originally the commander of the Zhechong Prefecture in Xingzhou. He was skilled with a broadsword and his ancestors even included generals. His family had passed down a set of infantry formations.

Also consisting of six regiments, namely Qin Wei, Shi Dao, Quan Fei, Li Tong, Li Cong, Hua Jie, and Zhu Ba.

Almost all of those selected were not originally in military positions; some had been promoted, and some had been demoted, but not one of them complained.

Li Yuanchang's reputation, status, and power were undeniable; who would dare to act recklessly?

Moreover, although everyone's position may seem to have been downgraded, they have actually been promoted, since the total number of people has increased and their actual power has increased.

If you perform meritorious service, the subsequent rewards will certainly be substantial.

In order to complete the integration of the army, Li Yuanchang did not set off immediately, but instead chose to go into the mountains and planned a month-long training program.

The main purpose is to help the new team get used to each other.

Of course, he didn't stand on ceremony with the imperial court. Whatever he lacked or needed, he simply asked the garrison troops stationed at Tongguan for it.

Food supplies, weapons, and warhorses were all readily available.

In a short period of time, the equipment of this 20,000-strong army was comparable to that of the Chang'an Imperial Guard.

Apart from the soldiers of Liangzhou, who have always been well-fed and secretly provided with top-notch supplies, the soldiers of the other eight prefectures are treated like royalty.

Every day, large quantities of meat are delivered, and every day, the finest Turkic horses are ridden!

"Damn it, I've never fought such a lucrative battle in my entire life!"

"We soldiers from this godforsaken place actually have the opportunity to ride these Turkic horses!"

"Yeah, two meals of meat a day, my God! If you gave me two more paychecks, I could accept it too."

"Hahaha!"

"Pah, you fucking shameless!"

"You think you're just lucky? That's because you've chosen the right person. All these things were obtained by His Highness the Prince of Han from the imperial court. Try finding someone else and see if that works."

"that is!"

"Sigh, I wonder which family in Shannan West Road has some good fortune, that such a great Buddha as the King of Han has come. In recent years, not only has Shannan West Road become richer, but the population and land have also increased. And of all people, he just happened to choose us to come."

"Yes, I heard from several officers that His Highness specially selected us, not anyone else, just us, the soldiers from the mountain valleys."

"We really owe it all to His Highness the Khan! I wish I could continue serving under him!"

"Shh, stop talking, the King of Han is here for an inspection."

"Hurry up, don't embarrass Shannan West Road, hurry up!"

"..."

As time went by, the three armed forces became more and more accustomed to the new structure, and the soldiers gradually developed better coordination.

This is also closely related to the Six Armies Mirror. These days, Li Yuanchang has been diligently studying the "Wei Gong's Art of War".

This includes not only large-scale tactics such as troop deployment and camping, but also Li Jing's life experience in military management, covering every detail comprehensively.

With the knowledge of the 21st century and the military strategies of Duke Wei, Li Yuanchang not only made rapid progress in his army, but also made continuous progress in himself.

Unbeknownst to him, he had stayed in Tongguan for a full forty days, and even held a small-scale internal military confrontation.

The three battalions were made to attack and defend against each other. Although they used wooden sticks, it was a real fight, and thousands of men emerged from the deep mountains with bruises and swelling on their faces.

Such a pre-battle stay naturally brought news to Chang'an, as Tongguan and Chang'an were not far apart.

Li Shimin directly dispatched an imperial envoy to inquire about the situation and urged them not to linger too long and miss the season.

September is winter in Liaodong. It's already the end of June, and there are still thousands of miles to go.

Li Yuanchang had no intention of entering Liaodong immediately. Although he was confident, he also knew that with only 20,000 men, he could only raid and harass the enemy at most. Without gunpowder, if he were to launch a surprise attack on the heart of Goguryeo, it would be a free gift.

However, in order not to reveal his true thoughts, he could only order the army to set off first.