Gao Qiu heard this and hurried over from the accounting room. Although he had just woken up, he did not look tired at all. "Brother Lin, what's the matter?"
Lin Wanrong said in a low voice, "Zhao Liangyu is to lead the Godly Arms Battalion, Du Xiuyuan is to lead the two Zhejiang troops, and Hu Bugui is to lead the Shandong troops. Gather at the Godly Arms Battalion's encampment immediately. There must be no delays."
Gao Qiu saw his solemn expression and thought that it was an urgent military matter. He did not dare to delay and immediately went out to pass on the order.
Lin Wanrong got up and paced back and forth in the tent. He felt terrible thinking about Qin Xian 'er's situation. Qin Xian 'er had to protect her master, so it was inevitable that she would go to the battlefield. With her martial arts, swords and sabers could not hurt her at all. The most troublesome thing was the artillery soldiers. He did not know how powerful the improved Godly Arms Cannon was. Damn, if he had known that he would have to fight with Xian 'er, he would have taught Xu Wei how to improve the cannon.
There was a hubbub outside. It was obvious that Gao Qiu had already passed on the order to the Godly Arms Battalion. The soldiers in the battalion hurried over. It was inevitable that they would complain when they saw that the sky was still dark.
Lin Wanrong had to spend the night in the Godly Arms Battalion. He was deeply dissatisfied with Zhao Liangyu's lax defense. If it was not for Xian 'er's timely reminder, it would not have been difficult for someone to break into the camp and assassinate General Lin.
The quality of the three battalions was immediately demonstrated when the order for an emergency assembly was given. Hu Bugui's Eastern camp was the last to arrive, but they were the first to arrive. Their military formation was neat and tidy, their swords and spears gleaming. Although the soldiers were of different heights and did not look good, but seeing the fearless and capable appearance of the soldiers, no one could look down on them.
This Big Beard Hu Bugui was indeed worthy of being the Commander of the Thousand Households who had fought against the Hu people. His training skills were indeed superior.
Du Xiuyuan's Zhejiang Battalion was the second to arrive. His troops could not compare to Hu Bugui, but their marching route and defense were very particular.
However, the Divine Strategy Battalion, which was the closest, dragged its feet. Bearded Man and Du Xiuyuan had already led the team through a drill before Zhao Liangyu finished organizing the Divine Strategy Battalion. Seeing that Lin Wanrong's face was as dark as still water, Baihu Zhao had a bad feeling about this. However, seeing that General Lin was not saying a word, he did not dare to speak.
With Gao Qiu's help, Lin Wanrong had already put on a suit of armor and boots. Coupled with his angular face, he looked quite majestic and imposing. It was unknown what the armor on his body was made of, but the texture was very soft. If it was any other day, he would definitely study it carefully, but today, he felt very uncomfortable. His face was as black as charcoal. How could he still have such thoughts?
The three baihu saw that General Lin's expression was not good and that he had given such an urgent order to assemble. They were secretly anxious. Could it be that something big had happened up ahead?
Lin Wanrong climbed to a high vantage point and looked around. He saw that among the soldiers of the three battalions, Hu Bugui looked the most majestic, followed by Du Xiuyuan, and the Divine Strategy Battalion was a mess. The Divine Strategy Battalion was the Imperial Army of Gyeonggi. The soldiers were carefully selected. Compared to Hu Bugui and Du Xiuyuan's soldiers, their physical fitness was many times better. However, their sloppy and weak appearance made it hard to believe that they were from the Imperial Army.
Lin Wanrong smiled coldly and took two steps toward the front desk. He said loudly, "Some of you might not know me yet. My name is Lin San, and I am the General Staff Officer under Marshal Xu. This time, I have come to Chuzhou under the Marshal's orders to prepare for war. Some of you should have remembered my name last night."
The news of General Lin punishing more than twenty soldiers of the Divine Strategy Battalion and breaking five wooden planks had already spread last night. Today, seeing that this General Staff Officer, who was leading six to seven hundred soldiers, was only in his twenties, the soldiers were even more surprised.
"Brothers, you might find it strange that I, Lin, am able to take up the position of Commander at such a young age. Actually, I am also very puzzled. For this reason, I have asked Marshal Xu for confirmation. Lord Xu said that I am not good at anything, but there are three things that I am good at: loyalty, resourcefulness, and viciousness. "
Lin Wanrong glanced around and a smile appeared on his face. "I have thought about it carefully. Lord Xu is indeed worthy of being the world's most talented scholar. These three points are very accurate. I used to hang around in Jinling, and I have some fame there. If you are interested, you can ask around and see what kind of person I, Lin San, am. See how I treat my brothers? If you understand this, you will understand why I put the word 'loyalty' first. "
When the three baihu heard General Lin's half-black and half-white speech, they could not help but look at each other. Why did General Lin speak like a hooligan? Only Gao Qiu, who had interacted with Lin Wanrong for a long time, did not find it strange.
"Today, when you become a soldier, there is no distinction between north and south. Soldiers do not discriminate between old and young. We are all brothers and sisters, and we must love and protect each other. On the battlefield, protecting our brothers is the same as protecting ourselves. If anyone dares to stab us in the back, it would be considered a light punishment if we cut them into pieces. I, Lin Wanrong, have many tricks up my sleeve. Some people might not believe that I am viciousness, but I will only say one thing. Whoever has the guts can come and try. "Lin Wanrong bared his teeth as he spoke with surging killing Qi. Gao Qiu picked up a steel saber and snapped it in two. Then, he picked up the broken piece and slowly crushed it. Everyone was shocked when they saw this. These words and actions were truly shocking. The Divine Strategy Battalion soldiers, who were making a lot of noise earlier, immediately fell silent.
"I have no other requirements for you to work under me. I only have two very simple requirements. First, you have to practice your skills as a soldier. I do not expect everyone to be strong enough to shatter rocks. That would be nonsense. I only want you to practice your most basic skills. Which are your most basic skills? This is easy to say. Those who wield a saber have to chop ruthlessly, those who wield a spear have to stab steadily, and those who fire a cannon have to hit accurately. This is not for me. This is for you to protect your life on the battlefield. Big Brother Gao, demonstrate for everyone … "Lin Wanrong shouted.
Gao Qiu took out a piece of wood that was about half a foot long and placed it on the ground. With a light shout, the saber flashed, and that piece of wood was split vertically in the middle. All the soldiers were stunned. If this skill was practiced, it would really be useful on the battlefield.
When Lin Wanrong saw that Gao Qiu had stunned everyone with a single move, he was very satisfied. Although he had tens of thousands of ways to train soldiers, in this era and under these conditions, it was all nonsense to want to have advanced training methods, such as making gunpowder, making pistols, training soldiers with high technology, and building a strong country with science and technology. Cold weapons were cold weapons. Practicing swords and spears to fight well was the hard truth of survival on the battlefield. There was no other way.
"The second point is also simple. You must listen to the commander's commands and execute them. As a soldier under me, if I tell you to charge and kill, you have to charge and run. If I tell you to visit a brothel, even if you are a eunuch, you have to give me your d * ck. "Lin Wanrong's voice was loud and clear as he said loudly.
The soldiers of the three battalions burst into laughter. This general was really f * cking rude, but they liked it.
"I will not joke around with the lives of my brothers. On the battlefield, if you can't win, and I tell you to run, you have to run with all your might. If you run a little slower, I will … f * ck, I don't even need to do anything. You will be killed long ago."
Another wave of laughter came from below the stage. General Lin continued, "I want to order you to run. Do not hesitate, I will bear all the responsibility. In the pugilistic world, the word 'Dao' is placed on both sides, and the word 'Yi' is in the center. The lives of my brothers are as precious and valuable as those officials. I will not let my brothers sacrifice themselves for nothing. "
The soldiers of the three battalions were all from poor backgrounds. When they heard General Lin's words, they were instantly fired up and cheered loudly. They felt that this general was different from the rest. He loved his soldiers like they were his own children.
The three baihu glanced at each other. Just this declaration alone was enough to get people to work for him. This General Staff Officer was really not simple.
"In order to promote the enthusiasm of my brothers in training, I will now announce a few new military rules." Lin Wanrong said loudly, "From today onwards, the Godly Arms Battalion, two households from Zhejiang and two households from Shandong will train together. Every morning, every brother will be provided with sufficient rations. However, only ninety percent of the brothers will be able to enjoy lunch and eighty percent of the brothers will be able to enjoy dinner. These brothers will only be able to eat after they have completed their training and passed the assessment. As for those brothers who have not passed the assessment, they can only starve and train hard in the future. "
As soon as these words came out, the crowd was in an uproar. This was simply a devil's rule. Wouldn't this mean that everyone would be desperately trying to enter the ninety percent and eighty percent? Hu Bugui and Du Xiuyuan hurriedly said, "General Lin …"
Lin Wanrong waved his hand and said, "You don't have to say anything more. Our troops are already weak. If we don't use some heavy medicine, I'm afraid that we will collapse before we even reach the front line. "
Lin Wanrong's rotten idea was actually the elimination system in modern enterprises. He was extremely familiar with this system. Although it seemed a little extreme to use the elimination system in training and directly change it to one training and one elimination, but what better way could there be for such a troop?
What followed next was the drill between the Shandong and Zhejiang battalions as agreed last night. Hu Bugui's carefully trained forty elite cavalry would act as the attacker, while Du Xiuyuan's Zhejiang battalion would act as the defender.
According to Lin Wanrong and the others' expectations, Hu Bugui's troops were strong and their individual combat power was several times stronger than Du Xiuyuan's, so the Zhejiang battalion should be quickly defeated.
But the reality was not entirely like this. The formation that Du Xiuyuan arranged was very effective against Hu Bugui's cavalry. Although his soldiers were weaker than his opponents, the formation he arranged was compact. If one fell in front, another would quickly fill in from the back, maintaining the integrity of the formation. Hu Bugui's cavalry was confined in a narrow space, making it impossible for him to rush out. This was undoubtedly holding the cavalry by the throat. Over time, the Zhejiang battalion and Hu Bugui's cavalry confronted each other for less than an hour before they were finally separated by the forty elite cavalry due to the huge difference in combat power.
As a modern person, Lin Wanrong originally snorted disdainfully at battle formations, but after seeing today's competition, he realized that there was indeed some mystery behind this formation. It was very reasonable that it had been passed down from ancient times to the present. With this discovery, he had a new understanding of Du Xiuyuan and Hu Bugui. One of them was a scholar, while the other was a martial artist. One was good at training troops, while the other was good at training formations. They were really a natural pair.
Next, it was time for the Divine Arms battalion to practice. Lin Wanrong ordered his men to build two mounds far away, with a distance of more than thirty meters between the two mounds. Then, he set up the Divine Arms Cannon in the distance, aimed, and fired, specifically targeting the mounds behind.
The loading of ammunition for the Divine Arms Cannon was very complicated. Furthermore, the cannonball was solid, unlike the scattered shrapnel seen in the future, so its lethality was much lower. Lin Wanrong was itching to see this, so he said loudly, "The first shot of the Divine Arms Cannon must be fired properly and accurately. Do not slack off."
Zhao Liangyu hurriedly said, "As the commander of the Divine Arms battalion, I will personally fire the first shot."
Lin Wanrong nodded and stood behind him to see how he would operate it. Zhao Liangyu adjusted the height of the cannon and the distance between him and the front. When he thought it was about right, he ignited the fuse. Everyone covered their ears and waited for the arrival of a loud explosion.
Lin Wanrong waited for a long time but did not hear anything. He was puzzled. It can't be, the first shot is just a stinky bomb? This is too f * cking unfavorable of a start.
Just as he was about to ask Zhao Liangyu to inspect it, he heard a soft whistle. Then, there was another loud explosion, and a cloud of smoke and dust rose from afar. The cannonball had exploded, but it was still one or two hundred meters away from the mound.
"Officer Zhao, what's going on?" Lin Wanrong asked with a gloomy expression.
Zhao Liangyu also broke out in a cold sweat. This Divine Arms Cannon had been recently modified, and its accuracy had been greatly improved. However, he had never tried it before. It was no wonder General Lin was angry that the first shot was like this. Then, he thought about how he had been caught visiting prostitutes the day before, and the new General Staff had not acted up yet. He was probably waiting for the opportunity to settle the score with him.
Lin Wanrong was infuriated. He wanted the cannon to be accurate, but he had his own selfish motives. If he really went to the battlefield in a few days, he would definitely encounter Qin Xian 'er. I don't even have time to feel sorry for that girl. How could I use a cannon to shoot her? So he had to adjust the cannon properly and accurately. As long as he was the one directing it, it would never hit Xian 'er. This was his main goal in training with cannons. As for the other normal White Lotus Sect members, it was none of his business even if they were killed. Who asked them to participate in counter-revolutionary activities and not repent?
Seeing that Zhao Liangyu was such an idiot, Lin Wanrong snorted and walked to the first mound. He shouted, "F * ck, I'm standing here now. You hit the mound behind me. If you hit me, you're a hero. If you accidentally hit me, then you're murdering a superior officer. Marshal Xu will report this to His Majesty, and your entire family will be executed!"
Zhao Liangyu was shocked. He hurried over and said, "General Lin, how can I do this? Cannon fire has no eyes. If it hurts your precious body, I can't bear the consequences."
Lin Wanrong looked at him and said, "Officer Zhao, you're saying that my body is more precious than yours, right?"
Zhao Liangyu hurriedly nodded. "Yes, yes! You're the head of the army, so of course you're more precious than me. "
Lin Wanrong nodded. "That's fine too. Since I'm more precious than you, Officer Zhao, I'll have to trouble you to stand here and be a target. I'll try to shoot a few times."
Zhao Liangyu was so scared he almost collapsed. Be a target for General Lin? And he was going to shoot himself? That was suicide.
"Stand properly, this is a military order. Don't move around, or else I'll accidentally shoot who knows where. "Lin Wanrong chuckled darkly. I haven't punished you for your whoring yesterday, and the cannon fire isn't accurate today. If I don't make fun of you, you'll think I'm that easy to fool around with.
When Lin Wanrong returned to the cannon, he saw Zhao Liangyu trembling and standing on the mound, not daring to move. He glanced at the soldiers of the Divine Arms Battalion and asked loudly, "Who in the Divine Arms Battalion is the most proficient with the Divine Armament Cannon?"
The eyes of the soldiers all turned to look at one person. It was a man in his thirties. Everyone looked at him with admiration. It was obvious that this man had some prestige.
The man cupped his fists at Lin Wanrong and said, "General, I'm Sage Li. I once participated in the modification of this Divine Armament Cannon."
"Oh?" Lin Wanrong said happily, "You've been to Haian and seen the French ironclad?"
Sage Li replied respectfully, "Yes. Lord Xu also mentioned General Lin to me. He said that the improvements to this cannon were all thanks to General Lin. "
"Good, good. Come and try it," Lin Wanrong said happily.
Sage Li nodded and walked up to the cannon. He unhurriedly loaded, aimed, and lit the powder. With a loud bang, the cannonball hit the mound behind him. At the same time, Zhao Liangyu was so frightened that he fainted on the mound.
Lin Wanrong laughed heartily. "Good. I hereby order for Sage Li to be promoted to Commander of the Divine Arms Battalion. He will be given the rank of Baihu. Report this to Commander Xu immediately." Sage Li's craftsmanship was outstanding and he had high prestige in the Divine Arms Battalion. With Lin Wanrong's order, everyone except Zhao Liangyu's trusted aides cheered.
Du Xiuyuan and Hu Bugui had long looked down on the ignorant and incompetent Baihu Zhao. Seeing Lin Wanrong's swift and decisive actions, they were very happy. They immediately surrounded Sage Li and congratulated him.
Lin Wanrong looked at Du Xiuyuan and Hu Bugui and said seriously, "Brother Du, Brother Hu, I'll leave the training of the soldiers to you. Brother Hu will be in charge of individual training, and Brother Du will be in charge of tactical drills. I hope you won't quarrel. You must see each other's strengths and cooperate sincerely. Bring these six to seven hundred brothers out. I don't need them to kill many enemies, but at least let them have the ability to escape on the battlefield. "
Du Xiuyuan and Hu Bugui were both capable people. Although they disliked each other, it was only because of academic differences and not because they despised each other. Seeing that Lin Wanrong's words were simple but sincere enough, they cupped their fists together and said, "Rest assured General Lin, we will do our best."
Lin Wanrong sighed and said, "That's good. Actually, it's not that I don't want to train the soldiers myself, but I have more important things to do." His face showed a sad expression, as if he was worried about the country and its people. Du Xiuyuan and Hu Bugui admired him very much.
Gao Qiu moved closer to him and whispered, "Brother Lin, what more important things do you have to do?"
Lin Wanrong chuckled and said, "Taking an afternoon nap, drinking tea, visiting a brothel and taking a bath. Which of these is not more important than training the soldiers?"
Gao Qiu was stunned for a moment, then he burst into laughter. This Brother Lin was really the most wonderful person in the world.
Xu Wei's order had arrived. The troops from Chuzhou immediately set off and rushed to the border between Lu and Anhui. Lin Wanrong's eyes were focused on the distance. It was the direction of Suzhou and Xuzhou. The flames of war had already begun to burn at the frontline.
Am I really going to fight Xian 'er? He sighed slightly. He had never felt so lost before.
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