Chapter 1145 – Invading Xu Pei, First Kill Among the Lords (Fifteen)
Seeing Qin Gong’s confusion, Yang Si couldn’t help but educate him on the “common knowledge” of the Wanzhou Group to prevent any future embarrassment.
“How can that be untrue? The so-called elite troops are not just about excellent weaponry; they also need elite soldiers,” Yang Si explained. “These elite soldiers must not only be strong and brave but also disciplined and obedient. Achieving these two points is what makes them elite.”
Yang Si shared the secrets of training soldiers from the Wanzhou Group with Qin Gong.
Strong and brave—that’s combat strength; disciplined and obedient—that’s military discipline.
Achieving the former isn’t hard; it just takes one word—
Practice!
Practice until you’re dead tired!
Jiang Pengji’s training plan for her troops has been in use until now.
Training occurs primarily in the harshest winter and summer seasons. Regardless of scorching heat or frigid cold, as long as a soldier isn’t too sick to stand, they must crawl out to train. After developing a certain routine, Jiang Pengji would organize military drills, encompassing various combat environments.
Yang Si casually glanced at the resting soldiers and remarked, “Don’t complain about the rations only lasting a day or two; even if we run out of everything for seven or eight days, they still have to munch on wild grass and tree bark. The drills replicate real combat—no one dares to run away then, and certainly no one would act against the wind right now.”
Qin Gong was left dumbfounded, yet an impulse bubbled within him to give it a try.
He’d never imagined that military training could be so intense, that drills would utilize real weapons and not just for show.
“But—why is it that no one dares to run away, even with such strict measures?”
Though he hadn’t witnessed it firsthand, Yang Si’s descriptions painted a vivid picture of the harsh and ruthless training.
Even in the face of tyrannical rulers and uprisings from the common people, not a single soldier resisted or expressed dissatisfaction?
Qin Gong was drawn into Yang Si’s words, momentarily forgetting his earlier worries.
Yang Si smiled.
“It’s simple—brittle things break easily; flexible things bend easily. Training troops works the same way; a balance of firmness and leniency is the way to go.”
Being elite isn’t just about harsh training; it requires a mixture of tough measures and soft policies.
Soldiers are people too; they can’t all be unwaveringly loyal, nor can you expect them to spontaneously pledge allegiance to Jiang Pengji out of love.
Yang Si pointed at the soldiers and said, “For them, the cost of being a deserter or showing apathy far exceeds dying in battle.”
Qin Gong gaped.
What kind of methods are these?
Yang Si raised two fingers and said, “One is military discipline, and the other is welfare.”
When Jiang Pengji formed her army, she prioritized military discipline and established strict military regulations.
The soldiers came from impoverished backgrounds, and hardly anyone could read; explaining military rules was quite troublesome for them.
Thus, Jiang Pengji employed a forceful method of indoctrination; no matter if it was the dead of winter or the peak of summer, she yelled military regulations three times a day.
Since promoting “New Rhymes of Mandarin,” the common people had to learn phonetic symbols, and the soldiers in the camps were no exception.
They not only had to complete normal training tasks but also followed the “Political Commissar” in literacy classes.
The position of Political Commissar was created by their leader and enjoyed the rank equivalent to that of a Centurion, with the primary job of educating the soldiers’ ideological standpoint.
The educational material wasn’t from Golden Scales Academy but rather military regulations they had memorized to the point of reciting them by heart!
As if brainwashing education wasn’t enough, Jiang Pengji linked military regulations to benefits, both for family support and retirement—a truly insidious tactic.
Once a soldier violated military discipline, it would be directly recorded.
Not only would this affect their personal military pay and future promotions, but it would also impact their retirement benefits or compensation should they die in battle.
Since the establishment of Golden Scales Academy, these two benefits also included eligibility for their descendants’ education.
This rule was a killer.
With a mixture of tough and soft approaches, who would dare to desert?
For the sake of their families and children, they’d rather starve or die in battle than break military rules by becoming deserters.
Qin Gong was astonished, his mouth agape as if to say—
“There’s a way to do it like this?”
Yang Si patted his shoulder.
Qin Gong was still too young; to be shocked now—how would he cope later?
After resting for a while, scouts reported signs of the enemy and hurriedly transmitted the message back.
Yang Si sighed, holding back the pain all over his body, and stood up. “Qin Xiaowei, gather the troops; let’s go.”
This long game of “hide and seek,” or rather “cat chasing mouse,” would eventually conclude with a winner.
Two more days passed, and the once composed Han Yu now showed a grave expression.
Yang Si and the others seemed just as slippery, showing no signs of food shortages, and not a single deserter was found.
Could it be that his judgment was wrong?
Did Yang Si plan to run with all his belongings?
If so, he should reconsider; what scheme was Yang Jingrong truly up to?
“Someone, quickly inquire if there are any unusual movements at the Hu Jun border—”
Something felt off; an unsettling vibe pervaded.
Yang Si’s personality was known to him; no profit, no motivation, and he wouldn’t carry out anything pointless.
If supplies were plentiful, there was no reason for Yang Si to loiter around Qichuan Plain, wasting time. He would have already found a way to flee.
Now still rotating around Qichuan Plain felt more akin to a cornered beast’s struggle.
If that was the case, it looped back to the question—
Was Yang Si really in short supply?
If he was short on supplies, how could one explain that there were no deserters and the marching speed didn’t decrease?
If not short on supplies, Yang Si’s actions still puzzled him immensely.
Han Yu pondered deeply, carefully tracing the routes Yang Si had taken on the run these past few days.
The routes were convoluted and complex, seemingly irregular, yet they all pointed towards the northern border of Hu Jun—
“Report! The news has been verified.”
The Messenger’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Speak.”
The Messenger replied, “Liu Xi has split off ten thousand troops to charge straight for Hu Jun!”
Han Yu suddenly realized something, unintentionally knocking over the bamboo strips on the table.
“Yang Jingrong, you were scheming like this!”
Yang Si wasn’t lacking in supplies; it was clear he had used misdirection to fool others.
Coincidentally, Xie Ze found another location, but regrettably, it was too late; Yang Si had already made his escape.
He was quicker than a rabbit!
“Xie Xiaowei, did you check their campfire remains?” Han Yu inquired.
Xie Ze responded, “I did.”
Han Yu asked, “Were there any signs of cooking?”
Xie Ze thought carefully, his expression troubled; this detail had slipped his attention.
Han Yu simply went for a personal check, and the enlightenment hit him.
The campfire was in disarray, appearing as though they had fled in a hurry, but in reality, it was to cover up the lack of prepared food.
“This sleight of hand isn’t bad; what a pity—” Han Yu decisively said, “Xie Xiaowei, gather the troops and head to Guxu!”
Guxu lay to the north of Qichuan Plain.
Xie Ze was surprised. “Military Adviser, are we not capturing Yang Si anymore?”
“Capture him!” Han Yu declared. “We’ll trap him for sure!”
Considering their own marching speed, they could definitely reach Guxu ahead of Yang Si and the others.
The next day, around noon—
Yang Si and his men had run out of supplies for two days. The soldiers were holding up well, but their combat strength was barely half of usual.
At this moment, Guxu was within sight.
“If all goes as expected, we’ll reunite with our Lord within half a day—”
Clearly on the verge of escaping, and yet still ensuring the entirety of their forces could escape unscathed, something felt off in his heart.
