Lin Wanrong and Gao Qiu brought Zhao Liangyu and a few Bannermen and rode to the foot of Langya Mountain in one go. In the distance, they saw a few tents lit with lanterns. There were many people and it was very lively.
"Sir Baihu, your barracks are quite lively. It seems that your brothers have a very rich life outside of work!" Lin Wanrong said with a smile.
Baihu Zhao laughed awkwardly and did not reply. Before they even got close to the barracks, they could already hear the incessant noise, accompanied by the sound of dice being thrown. A few soldiers were shouting, "Open, open, one, two, three, six, small bets, all bets are taken!"
Gao Qiu had been in the palace for a long time, so gambling with his guards was a common occurrence. However, now that they were in the army, they actually dared to openly gamble. These generals were a little too bold.
Lin Wanrong squinted and said, "Baihu Zhao, what is that sound?"
Zhao Liangyu's face alternated between red and white. He pretended to say, "Reporting to General, I don't know. Perhaps the soldiers are bored during the march and are fooling around."
Lin Wanrong chuckled. The officials went out to visit prostitutes, and the soldiers gambled in their barracks. This Godly Arms Battalion was really a case of a crooked stick, followed by a crooked shadow. Eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling were all taken over by them.
The few of them dismounted and saw two Godly Arms Cannons in the middle of the barracks. A soldier was lazily leaning against the carriage, dozing off. He did not even notice that someone had approached.
Lin Wanrong carefully sized up the two cannons. They were made of pig iron, and the barrels were thick and long. There were no signs of having been fired. These must be the improved cannons that Xu Wei had mentioned. Stroking the cold barrels, Lin Wanrong's interest was piqued. He wondered how powerful these cannons were. If he had the time, he would personally fire a few shots.
Zhao Liangyu noticed that this new General of Staff was staring at the two cannons that he was escorting. He seemed to be very interested. He immediately said proudly, "These two cannons were newly developed by the skilled craftsmen of my Godly Arms Battalion. No one has used them before. It is said that these cannons are extremely powerful and accurate. If we bring them to the front lines, I guarantee that those White Lotus Demons will die a horrible death. "
Accurate shooting? No matter how accurate the cannon is, it's just a decoration in the hands of tofu soldiers like you. Lin Wanrong smiled disdainfully: "Oh, is that so? If that's the case, I'll have to witness the power of this cannon tomorrow. To be honest with Officer Zhao, I've never seen a firecracker before. "
Lin Wanrong brought Gao Qiu into a tent in the middle and saw about twenty soldiers surrounding a small table in the middle, gambling happily.
Lin Wanrong signaled Gao Qiu with his eyes. Gao Qiu took three steps forward and grabbed the dice cup, shouting: "Who dares to bet with me?"
Everybody saw that he was tall and sturdy, his stature was frightening, but he was not wearing any armor; nobody knew where he came from. Several soldiers shouted, "You brat, how dare you! This is the Divine Machine Battalion's restricted area, how can we allow you to trespass without permission?"
Zhao Liangyu hurriedly said, "Don't be rude. These two are the new Commanding Officer, General Staff Officer Lin, and his entourage. Why aren't you greeting them quickly? "
The soldiers were scared out of their wits and hurriedly bowed, paying their respects to the two officers. Lin Wanrong smiled and said, "It's fine, it's fine. Since you all like to play dice, then I'll let Brother Gao play with you all to your heart's content. But if you want to play to your heart's content, you have to add some stakes. "
Seeing that the new General Staff Officer had spoken, everybody kept quiet out of fear and listened attentively. They heard the General Staff Officer continued, "How about this, all the brothers who are gambling in this tent today, everybody has a share. Everybody come up and gamble with Gao Dage alone. If you win, today's gambling in the army will have nothing to do with you. But if you lose … "General Lin chuckled:" Then you will have to bear the military's rules and regulations. Fifty strokes of the cane will be unavoidable. Oh, then I'll have to trouble Sir Baihu to personally punish them. "
As soon as he said this, the people in the tent immediately broke out in discussion. According to China's military regulations, gambling in the army was a serious crime. Even beheading would not be too much. However, these soldiers of the Godly Arms Battalion were used to being arrogant and willful, so they had long since disregarded military rules. However, this General Staff Officer was going to be serious the moment he arrived, so they were a little afraid.
Lin Wanrong had already guessed what they were thinking. He smiled generously and said, "Don't worry, brothers. This method of mine is very fair. Since everyone likes to gamble, I'll specially set up this game. If you win, then naturally it's your ability, and I have nothing to say. But if you lose, then you have to be willing to accept your loss. We are soldiers, so what's a few strokes of the cane? "
Everyone pondered for a moment. Wasn't this the principle of being willing to accept a loss? Moreover, this General had already given everyone a chance, so they might as well go up and try their luck. At that moment, a few of the bolder ones rushed up to compete with Gao Qiu.
Gao Qiu was a gambling expert to begin with, and he was also highly skilled in martial arts. It was a piece of cake for him to play some tricks in secret. If he wanted to play big, he would play big. If he wanted to play small, he would play small. These soldiers were no match for him, and they were all defeated in one round. In the blink of an eye, the twenty or so people in the tent had all been defeated.
Seeing that all the soldiers were dejected, Lin Wanrong's gaze swept across the crowd, and he shouted, "Who else wants to come up and gamble?" These soldiers had seen Gao Qiu's invincible might and did not dare to be presumptuous anymore. Everyone immediately fell silent and did not dare to speak.
Lin Wanrong smiled and said, "I've already given everyone a chance. This General's rule will always be in effect. As long as anyone can win this Brother Gao, you can choose any time, any place. Even if you want to set up a game on the battlefield, I won't have any objections. However, if you lose, you won't be able to avoid the cane. "
He chuckled and said to Zhao Liangyu, "Sir Baihu, please punish these dozens of brothers. Out of twenty people, breaking five canes is considered a pass. "
Everyone sucked in a cold breath when they heard this. This General was all smiles when he spoke, but his methods were ruthless. If they were to be flogged fifty times, which one of them would not be bedridden for three to five days? But the fact that he was one rank higher than them was frightening, not to mention that this was a military rule. They could only blame themselves for offending this General today.
General Lin had given Baihu Zhao a death order to break five canes. Zhao Liangyu himself still had evidence against General Lin, so he did not dare to be negligent. He used all his strength and personally carried out the punishment. These soldiers who dared to gamble in public in the military camp were all Zhao Liangyu's trusted aides, but they were going to be beaten by Baihu Zhao today. Naturally, they would not feel at ease.
Hearing the cries of pain outside, Gao Qiu asked worriedly, "Brother Lin, punishing so many people in one go, will it cause any trouble or mutiny?"
"Mutiny?" Lin Wanrong smiled bitterly and shook his head, then sighed, "Brother Gao, I'm not afraid of them mutiny. If it really is a mutiny, then it means that they still have the courage of soldiers. I'm just afraid that they won't even have the courage to mutiny."
Gao Qiu carefully thought about what he had said and found that it made a lot of sense. These soldiers from the Godly Arms Battalion were usually arrogant and domineering. They looked fierce, but in reality, they were people who bullied the weak and feared the strong. In terms of bravery, they were really lacking. This Brother Lin really had a good eye for things. He immediately found the crux of the problem. No wonder Sir Xu thought so highly of him.
After a while, Zhao Liangyu walked in, drenched in sweat, and reported, "Reporting to General, all twenty people have been punished. Five large canes have been broken. Please examine them, General." Immediately, the soldiers behind him presented the five broken canes. There were still spots of blood on them.
Lin Wanrong waved his hand and smiled evilly. "Good, Baihu Zhao is indeed a good man. Pass down my order. From now on, anyone who gambles in the military will be dealt with in the same way. Also, pass down my orders. Early tomorrow morning, the Godly Arms Battalion will hold a drill. They will fire live cannons. I want to personally examine them. "
The soldiers acknowledged the order and immediately left to make arrangements that very night. Lin Wanrong pulled Zhao Liangyu back and said, "Baihu Zhao, where are the troops from Zhejiang and Shandong stationed? Lead me there to inspect them."
Zhao Liangyu had a whole new understanding of this smiling General. He was swift and decisive, and his methods were ruthless. He was not someone to be trifled with.
The Godly Arms Battalion's tent was on the far left. About a kilometer away was the camp of the two hundred troops from Zhejiang. Another kilometer away was the camp of the Shandong troops. The three groups of soldiers and three baihu did not interfere with each other, forming three small groups.
When Zhao Liangyu arrived with Lin Wanrong and Gao Qiu, the Zhejiang camp was not as noisy as the Godly Arms Battalion. The camp was brightly lit, and a few large carriages carrying provisions were parked in the camp. Soldiers occasionally came and went.
Lin Wanrong carefully looked at the soldiers. As expected, they were old and young, and their physiques were weak. Zhao Liangyu was not lying. These were the leftovers from the various guards.
The two hundred troops from Zhejiang were also led by a baihu. His name was Du Xiuyuan. When Du Xiuyuan learned that General Lin had arrived, he hurriedly came out of the camp to welcome him. This Du Baihu was white and beardless, but his eyes were full of vigor. When he saw Lin Wanrong, he cupped his fists and said, "I am Du Xiuyuan. Greetings, General Lin."
"Sir Baihu, it's my first time here. Why is it so quiet? I don't see any guards. Are all the soldiers asleep?" Lin Wanrong asked with a smile.
"General, you misunderstand." Du Xiuyuan hurriedly said, "It's not that I didn't arrange for guards. It's just that the two baihu units under me are made up of defeated veterans and newly recruited soldiers. The old ones are in their forties, and the young ones are only fourteen or fifteen. They are so uneven and have not been trained. If we openly set up a formation and let the enemy see it, they will be able to see through us. It is not wise."
"Oh?" Lin Wanrong looked at Du Xiuyuan with interest. This beardless man seemed to have some ideas. "What do you think?"
Du Xiuyuan said, "Instead of exposing ourselves, it's better to hide in the dark. Although I am a weak soldier, I can still defeat a general among the dwarves. Daren, please take a look … "He clapped his hands three times and sixty to seventy soldiers rushed out of the camp. Although there were old and young, their physiques were much stronger. They were divided into two layers, with spears on the outside and sabers on the inside. They formed a guard formation.
Du Xiuyuan said, "These are the elites I picked out from over two hundred men. They will be hidden in the camp as guards. They are much stronger than the ones who are publicly known."
It turned out that Du Xiuyuan had some ideas. Although the soldiers he led were in a good formation, their individual abilities were very lacking. Lin Wanrong sighed and said, "Baihu Du, it's good that you have some ideas. However, the soldiers under you are still lacking in training. " He walked in front of a soldier holding a spear and pulled with both hands. The soldier lost his balance and fell sideways.
Although Zhao Liangyu's men were from the Godly Arms Battalion, the quality of the soldiers was much better than the Zhejiang soldiers. He could not help but laugh when he saw the Zhejiang soldiers fall.
Lin Wanrong glared at him. What's so funny? I'll make you laugh when the Godly Arms Battalion tests the cannons tomorrow morning. Du Xiuyuan's face alternated between red and white. He did not know what to do. The Jiangnan soldiers' physiques and strength were inferior to the Northerners'. Moreover, these were the remnants of soldiers who had been defeated.
From Du Xiuyuan's appearance, this Baihu Du seemed to be a strategist, but was not good at training soldiers. Lin Wanrong nodded and patted Du Xiuyuan's shoulder. He said, "Brother Du, don't be anxious. Training soldiers is not something that can be done in a short period of time. Strategy is your forte, so you just need to use it well. You look like you've been to school. What does your family do? "
Du Xiuyuan said, "General, my ancestral home is in Hangzhou. My family has been in business for generations. However, my family declined when it came to me. I was interested in the army, so I joined the army. "
"Business?" Lin Wanrong's interest was piqued. No wonder this Du Xiuyuan was a strategist. All businessmen were sly. It might not be a bad thing to bring him to the army. "We are in the same industry. I also do business in Jinling. This time, Official Xu asked me to come here for a temporary assignment."
He walked around the Zhejiang camp. Although Du Xiuyuan's soldiers were not strong individually, they had some attainments in formations. It could be seen that Du Xiuyuan had put in a lot of effort.
In for a penny, in for a pound. Lin Wanrong brought two baihu and rushed to the Shandong camp. Before they reached the Shandong camp, they could hear a shocking battle cry. There was also the indistinct neighing of war horses. Lin Wanrong was shocked. "What's going on? Could it be that they are fighting? "
Du Xiuyuan said, "General Lin, you might not know this. Baihu Hu Bugui, the commander of the Shandong army, has to train his soldiers like this every day. They train in the morning and at night. If they only rely on brute force, it will be useless on the battlefield. "There was a hint of disdain in Du Xiuyuan's words. He did not seem to get along well with Hu Bugui.
Before Lin Wanrong and his men got close to the Shandong camp, they saw a few soldiers by the side of the road. "Who dares to break into our camp?"
Gao Qiu said loudly. "Quickly report to your baihu that Staff Officer Lin is here on his night patrol." One of the soldiers immediately went to report. The rest of them stared at Lin Wanrong and his men. It seemed that they were the enemy that had come to attack the camp.
Lin Wanrong saw that these soldiers were about fourteen or fifteen years old. They already looked capable and experienced. In terms of individual qualities, they were much better than the soldiers in the Zhejiang camp. He nodded slightly. "Little brothers, how long have you been in the army?"
One of the young soldiers, who seemed to be the leader, said loudly. "Don't try to spy on me."
Lin Wanrong laughed heartily. This young man was very interesting. He looked into the camp. He saw dust and sand billowing in the camp. The camp was brightly lit. There were two groups of men and horses fighting on horseback. There were also a few other groups of soldiers fiercely hacking at the wooden figures made from grass. Although they were all crippled soldiers, they were already very fierce. From these sentries, it could be seen that this Hu Bugui was skilled in training soldiers.
While he was thinking, a military officer with a large beard came from afar. He was about forty years old and had a dark complexion. He walked quickly and hurriedly like a tiger. Before he arrived, a rough voice was already heard. "Which one is General Lin?"
Lin Wanrong smiled and stepped forward. "I am Lin San. Is this dignified and handsome man General Hu Bugui?"
Hu Bugui saw that the general in front of him was about twenty years old and had a cheeky smile on his face. He did not look solemn at all. Instead, he opened his mouth to flatter him. Hu Bugui immediately looked down on him. He also saw that Zhao Liangyu and Du Xiuyuan were beside him. He thought that his identity should not be wrong. He immediately cupped his fists and said seriously, "Hu Bugui pays respect to General Lin."
"Brother Hu Bugui, don't be so polite. I just arrived in Chuzhou today and was just taking a look around. Please forgive me for my intrusion, Big Brother Hu, "Lin Wanrong said with a smile.
You are my superior, so it is natural for you to visit my camp. Why do you have to pretend to disturb me? This person is very fake. Hu Bugui looked at General Lin with disdain and said loudly, "General Lin is too polite. Please come with me. "
As the two walked past the young soldiers, Lin Wanrong looked at the young soldier who stopped him and asked, "Little brother, what is your name?"
The young soldier thought that his previous words and actions had offended Hu Bugui. There was a look of fear on his face, but it quickly disappeared and he said proudly, "My name is — —"
Hu Bugui did not understand what General Lin meant, but when he saw the expression on the young soldier's face, he instinctively felt that something was wrong. He hurriedly said, "General Lin, my soldiers are all following my orders. They did not do anything wrong. If you want to punish them, please come at me."
Although Hu Bugui was impulsive, he was loyal to his soldiers. Lin Wanrong said with a smile, "Brother Hu Bugui, what are you talking about? Who wants to punish you? This little brother is smart, brave, and loyal to his duty. He should be commended, not punished. "
Hu Bugui did not know the background of this smiling general, and did not care whether he was telling the truth or not. He hurriedly pulled him into the camp. Along the way, the soldiers were neat and tidy, their swords and spears shining. They were heavily guarded, a completely different atmosphere from the Divine Arms Camp and Zhejiang Camp. The two hundred soldiers from Shandong, although of different ages, were clearly stronger than the Jiangnan soldiers. Hu Bugui was very skilled in training soldiers. It was not easy for him to train these disabled soldiers and child soldiers into such a valiant appearance in such a short period of time.
The two groups of soldiers that were training to fight at night were Hu Bugui's trump card. Both sides only had soldiers, but they were all skilled in horsemanship, and their swordsmanship was swift and fierce. Lin Wanrong asked curiously, "General Hu Bugui, how long have you trained these soldiers for?"
Hu Bugui replied, "About a month."
To be able to train these soldiers to such a state in a month, Hu Bugui's ability was not just for show. But he was already over forty years old, and he was so capable, how could he only be a little centurion?
"Brother Hu Bugui, in your opinion, is there really such a big difference between the soldiers of Jiangnan and the people of Qilu?" Lin Wanrong asked meaningfully.
Hu Bugui said, "The soldiers of Jiangnan are more delicate, and their bodies are weaker than the soldiers of the north. This is related to the temperament of the region. But this is not the deciding factor. If the soldiers of Jiangnan were handed over to me, I can similarly turn them into fierce and brave men like the people of Qilu. My many years of experience in the army proves that there are no disabled soldiers, only disabled generals. "
He was indirectly scolding Du Xiuyuan. Du Xiuyuan's face reddened. "What you said sounds nice, but you only train individual soldiers, and do not pay attention to joint attacks, and do not pay attention to formations. When on the battlefield, you will suffer a great loss."
"Like the soldiers under your command, they can't even pinch an ant to death. Do you think they can win a battle by putting on a show?" Hu Bugui retorted.
These two people, one from Zhejiang and the other from Shandong, were originally completely unrelated to each other. No one knew how they ended up arguing like this. But this kind of technical argument made Lin Wanrong happy. He was better at bootlicking, so he despised those who bootlicked. This real battle between Du Xiuyuan and Hu Bugui was exactly what he needed.
Seeing these two officials quarreling endlessly, Lin Wanrong smiled and said, "You two don't have to quarrel anymore. It just so happens that tomorrow morning, I have to go to the Divine Arms Camp to test the cannons. Why don't we have a real military exercise? When the time comes, both of you can bring your troops and battle it out to see who is better. "
This was a good idea, and the two officials did not have any objections. They arranged to have a training session tomorrow morning.
Lin Wanrong saw that the quality of the soldiers under Hu Bugui's command was indeed a cut above the others, and he was especially curious about this bearded man. He pulled him aside and said, "Brother Hu Bugui, I see that you are skilled in training and leading troops, but why are you still a small official now? You should at least be a Qianhu or a Commander? "
Hu Bugui looked at him cautiously, not knowing if he should answer. Lin Wanrong laughed heartily and said, "This is my fault. Brother Hu Bugui may not be familiar with me, but I have always been an honest, humble, and studious person. Official Xu saw this in me, so he sent me to Chuzhou to lead the troops. Although this is the first time I have met you, I have a shortcoming, and that is that I can't bear to see others wronged. That's why I took the liberty to ask you. I want to speak up for you. "
Hu Bugui found it funny that he was bragging, but he was indeed a straightforward person, so he said, "To tell you the truth, General Lin, I am from Ji Ning."
"Ji Ning?" Lin Wanrong frowned. Wasn't that the birthplace of the White Lotus Sect? He continued to ask, "Brother Hu Bugui was implicated because of the White Lotus Sect?"
Hu Bugui nodded. "The White Lotus Sect deceived the people and committed many evil deeds. I also despise them. I used to fight against the Hu people in the north and was rewarded with a title of Qianhu. But after the White Lotus Sect incident, the imperial court did not trust the Qilu generals, so I was sent back and demoted to Baihu. "
No wonder Hu Bugui was good at leading troops. He had fought against the Hu people and was even a Qianhu. Lin Wanrong shook his head. "This imperial court is bullsh * t. How can you differentiate between loyal and treacherous officials according to the region? These guys think with their butts. "
Although his words were crude, it was to Hu Bugui's liking. Hu Bugui's view of General Lin instantly changed. He said with a smile, "So General Lin is also a man of character. Although the White Lotus Sect is evil, they are just a motley crew. They are easy to deal with. The real enemy of China is the nomadic Hu people in the north. Although I am from Ji Ning, my ancestors lived in the north. My father died tragically under the hooves of the Hu people. I have a blood feud with the Hu people. My original name is Hu Shouxin. Later, in order to fight against the Hu people, I changed my name to Hu Bugui. It means that when the Hu people come, I will not let them go. "
So Hu Bugui was the one who changed his nickname. Lin Wanrong smiled and gave him a thumbs up. "Brother Hu Bugui has such ambition. I really admire you. Don't worry, I have a good relationship with Old Xu. If there is a chance, I will definitely speak up for you. Seeing a talent being wronged makes me feel bad. "
Hu Bugui was inwardly shocked when he heard him address Marshal Xu as Old Xu. He did not know where this Advisor General Lin came from, but his tone was so arrogant. Could it be that he really had a close relationship with Marshal Xu?
Lin Wanrong had just arrived in Chuzhou and had to patrol three camps in one go. He was really tired. Among the three camps, except for the Divine Arms Battalion from the capital region, which was not very disciplined, the other two camps were not bad, which made him feel a little better.
This was the first time he spent the night in the army. Listening to the footsteps of the patrolling soldiers, he could not fall asleep for a long time. Life was really strange. From the moment he entered the Xiao Family, his life inexplicably changed. He did a lot of messy things, met a lot of people, and now, as a lowly servant, he was leading thousands of soldiers to fight on the front line. If this news got out, who would believe it?
He sighed. Many faces flashed in front of his eyes. Where is Qing Xuan? Does she know that I have been inexplicably pulled here to be a soldier? Is Qiaoqiao asleep? She must be thinking about me. Second Miss is probably chanting scriptures and praying for me again. Is Luo Ning waiting for me to go back every day? And Grand Mistress, I will not be able to see her for a while. I am not used to it if I don't play with her every day.
No matter how he thought about it, all he could think of were the figures of women. Moreover, they were women who had been flirting with him. He couldn't help but laugh. He had gotten so many wives and prospective wives in one go. He was really too talented.
While he was half-asleep, he suddenly heard a gentle voice whispering in his ear, "Young Master, Young Master …"
He turned over in a daze and was about to fall asleep again when he suddenly realized that he was in the army. Why would a woman talk to him?
With this shock, all his sleepiness disappeared. He sat up in bed and saw a woman sitting on the side of the camp bed, looking at him with a charming smile.
"Xian 'er?!!" Lin Wanrong was shocked and called out softly.
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