Li An's recruitment plan was to recruit enough qualified recruits within ten days. However, on the sixth or seventh day, the people in charge of recruitment returned to Luzhou City one after another and brought the qualified recruits back to Luzhou City.
These new soldiers had already received their first month's pay. Therefore, they trusted the soldiers who recruited them very much and were full of hope for their future.
Since the construction of the Gourd Valley had yet to be completed, these newly recruited soldiers could only temporarily live outside Luzhou City. Fortunately, the Provincial Governor of Luzhou had already arranged for a large number of tents so that these commoners would not have to sleep outdoors.
Li An stayed in the Gourd Cave for many days. When he heard that they were recruiting and had already brought back all the qualified soldiers back to Luzhou City, he was extremely happy. He immediately brought Kun Xiong and Fei Yu back to Luzhou City on their horses.
"Big Brother, the construction of Gourd Cave is already very fast. I didn't expect the recruitment to be even faster. In the end, we still couldn't get the new soldiers to live in the barracks as soon as they joined the army. It's really unfair for them to have to sleep outside Luzhou City."
Ang Lee grinned. "I didn't expect the recruitment to progress so fast. After all, it's only been six or seven days. It seems that there are quite a lot of talents in Luzhou City. My recruitment requirements are a bit too low."
"Big Brother, your recruitment requirements can't be any higher. If they were higher, even I might not be qualified. Haha!"
It was true that Li An's recruitment requirements were extremely harsh. At the very least, there was no general in the Great Tang who would dare to set such high recruitment requirements.
"Big Brother, we're here. There are tents outside the city."
When Ang Lee arrived, Lifei Shouyu, Zhang Erniu, Zhang Guangcheng, and the others all came to welcome him.
"How are the preparations of Gourd Cave? The new soldiers we recruited can't always live in tents. Haha!"
"General's strategy is still the best. If it wasn't for General's strategy, we probably wouldn't even be able to recruit a single soldier."
The soldiers in charge of recruiting soldiers were all excited because they had completed the task ahead of time. Moreover, they had completed the task with high quality and quantity.
Ang Lee's face was filled with excitement. He looked at Li Fei Shouyu and the others and said, "Thank you for your hard work, soldiers. You have completed your mission with flying colors. Congratulations. The construction of the Gourd Cave is nearing completion. The soldiers will be able to enter the Gourd Cave and begin training the day after tomorrow."
"We're fine. This time, not only did we complete the task of recruiting three thousand new recruits, we also recruited five hundred more."
"General, everyone was worried that there would be some unqualified recruits among the new recruits, so they secretly recruited a few more. As a result, there are more than 500 new recruits. If the general thinks there are too many, we can immediately start to disband them."
Ang Lee thought for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "Three thousand five hundred new recruits is not a lot at all. As long as they are qualified, all of them must stay."
"General, the Imperial Court gives us a fixed amount of pay. This will result in a vacancy of more than five hundred men. It's fine for a few months, but if this continues for a long time, I'm afraid the problem will be very serious unless we ask the Imperial Court for more money and food."
One of the generals reminded him.
Ang Lee had already considered the problem of insufficient pay. However, a man would not die from suffocation. There must be a way.
"As for the pay of these five hundred men, I have my ways. You don't have to worry at all. Just take good care of these new recruits."
"Yes, general."
Ang Lee nodded and led his confidants to a tent. He took out the training plan that he had written and confirmed the organization of the army according to the current situation.
The Army was an army that Ang Lee was in charge of. In order to increase its fighting power, some adjustments were made. At least, it was different from the other armies of the Tang Dynasty.
In order to make this army more flexible and easier to command, Ang Lee removed the division of battalions and brigades. Instead, he set up a two-level system. The Army had three thousand ordinary soldiers and was divided into ten regiments. Each regiment had three hundred soldiers and was led by a lieutenant. The regiments were divided into six teams. Each team had fifty soldiers and was led by a team leader.
The teams were divided into five or ten groups according to the geographical characteristics of the battlefield.
The five groups were made up of ten people. There were two sword-shield soldiers at the front, four spearmen in the middle, and two crossbowmen and two archers at the back. The crossbowmen were equipped with one hundred arrows and one short sword. The archers were equipped with one hundred arrows and one short sword. The two sword-shield soldiers at the front were the squad leaders and vice squad leaders.
If they encountered a narrow area, they would split into ten groups. Each group would have one sword-shield soldier, two spearmen, one crossbowman, and one archer. The sword-shield soldiers would then become the squad leaders of the various squads.
The Army was divided into ten regiments and sixty squads. There were a total of three thousand ordinary soldiers and low-level officers. However, each squad had a squad leader and vice squad leader. There were also scouts, messengers, and orderlies. There were a total of five squad leaders. The Army was divided into sixty squads and had a total of three hundred people.
Each regiment had a lieutenant, two vice lieutenants, and seventeen auxiliary soldiers. There were twenty people in total. Ten regiments had a total of two hundred people. Thus, there were five hundred officers and auxiliary soldiers. Together with the three thousand ordinary soldiers, there were exactly three thousand five hundred people.
In other words, each squad had fifty-five people, and each regiment had three hundred and fifty people. There were a total of three thousand five hundred soldiers.
When the subordinates heard Ang Lee's introduction, they all nodded in agreement. They felt that this was a feasible method. Removing the division of brigades and brigades would allow the command of the troops to not be too bloated. The command would be more flexible, and there would be more people in charge of fighting.
Following which, Ang Lee focused on the supply and special forces. There were ten regiments in the Army. Of which, the first to eighth regiments were combat regiments, the ninth was the supply regiment, and the tenth was the special forces. The specific structure of the combat regiments had already been explained. There were only four types of soldiers: sword-shield soldiers, spearmen, crossbowmen, and archers.
The supply regiment had two bridge teams, one medical rescue team, and three transport teams. The bridge team was responsible for opening roads and filling bridges when there were floods, ensuring that the troops could quickly advance and retreat. The medical rescue team was responsible for saving the wounded on the battlefield, and the three transport teams were mainly responsible for transporting grain and supplies to the front to ensure that the army had enough supplies.
Of course, when they were not fighting, apart from training, the supply regiment also had other economic tasks. For example, reclaiming land, raising livestock, and gathering herbs to provide the basic supplies for the troops.
The main mission of the special forces was to fight, and it was a special battle. They were divided into two reconnaissance teams, two siege teams, and two cavalry teams.
Of which, the two scouting teams were the core of the entire regiment. They were also the most elite forces of the entire army. Not only did they have to learn how to disguise themselves and scout to provide accurate intel, but they also had to have strong combat strength. They could be used as the vanguard of the entire army.
The siege teams were mainly equipped with various siege weapons. When they faced the enemy's fortifications, without a siege team, they would not be able to fight. Siege chariots, ladders, catapults, and large shields were the basic equipment of the siege teams.
Of course, other than knowing how to use the most basic siege weapons, the soldiers of the siege team also needed to learn how to make siege weapons. They could also use the existing materials near the battlefield to quickly build siege weapons. They could even learn how to build heavy siege weapons with greater power to break through the enemy's strong fortifications.
The cavalry teams were set up for the purpose of quickly chasing and attacking the enemy. Although the terrain in the south was rugged and there were many valleys and rivers, making it inconvenient for cavalry to fight, it referred to large scale cavalry battles. A small scale cavalry would not be affected too much in such a terrain. Furthermore, the speed of cavalry was still incomparable to infantry. If they needed to quickly occupy a strategic location and there was a path for cavalry to pass through, sending out light cavalry was the best choice.
Seeing General Ang Lee divide the teams so meticulously, taking into account every small detail, the subordinates were all dumbfounded and praised Ang Lee's outstanding ability.
Ang Lee's organization seemed simple, but every step was based on the unique terrain of the south and the needs of battle. The eight battle teams only had four types of soldiers: sword-shield soldiers, spearmen, crossbowmen, and archers. It seemed simple, but it included long-range attacks, close-range attacks, close combat, and effective defense. Even the attack frequency was taken into account.
The crossbowmen were definitely the most powerful long-range soldiers. They could kill the enemy from a long distance, but their attack frequency was too slow. If the enemy had too many soldiers, it would be difficult to kill them quickly. To make up for this weakness, Ang Lee set up the archers.
The archers' attack power and attack range were not as good as the crossbowmen's, but their attack frequency was far higher than the crossbowmen's. They formed a perfect combination with the crossbowmen's long-range attacks.
The crossbowmen's equipment was heavier, so they were only equipped with a short sword for close-range defense. The archers' equipment was lighter, so they were equipped with a long sword. They could work better with the spearmen to kill the enemy at close range, making up for the weakness of the spearmen's lack of agility.
The spearmen were the main force for close-range combat. When the spearhead pierced into the enemy's body, it could cause great damage to the enemy. Therefore, the number of spearmen was twice that of the other three types of soldiers. In close-range combat, spearmen were definitely the main force for killing the enemy and protecting their comrades.
The sword-shield soldiers were mainly used for defending against long-range attacks and close-range combat. Their round shields could effectively block the enemy's arrow attacks, making the enemy's arrow attacks ineffective. Thus, they could protect themselves and the four comrades behind them. In close-range combat, the sword-shield soldiers could also work well with the spearmen and archers. They formed a two-long, two-short close-range combat formation and protected the crossbowmen from harm.
In the basic structure of an army, the sword-shield soldiers were at the very front, followed by the two spearmen, and at the very back were the crossbowmen and the archers. These five soldiers formed the most basic combat unit. They worked together and protected each other, forming the smallest unit. The two smallest combat units formed a ten-man squad, and their combat strength was doubled. There was no need to even talk about the first squad and the first regiment.
The main mission of the supply team was to be responsible for protection. The bridge team would open up a smooth path for the army and ensure that the army could move forward quickly. The transport team would transport supplies and ensure the army's combat strength. The medical team would be responsible for saving the injured soldiers and preventing more casualties. They were an essential part of an army.
The special forces were the same as the battle regiments in that they mainly engaged in combat. However, the special forces were more special and more important. Scouting, attacking, chasing, and ambushing were all special missions that could only be completed by the special forces. Therefore, the special forces were the elites of the entire army. They were the upgraded troops of the battle regiments.
After a detailed explanation of the specific structure and the missions of each unit, all of the subordinates understood and supported Ang Lee's decision. After all, they were all military officers who led troops into battle. They knew that Ang Lee's plan was very reasonable and practical.
"Alright, everyone has listened to the general. Split up and start organizing the units. The general must finish organizing them before the day after tomorrow."
"Yes, general."
All of the subordinates obeyed.
"Big Brother, organizing the troops isn't difficult. However, will the captains and above be directly selected from the new recruits or transferred from the Dragon Martial Army?"
Ang Lee thought for a moment and said, "The new recruits haven't learned how to fight yet, let alone command. Of course, we'll transfer some from the Dragon Martial Army first. Let them be in charge of training these new recruits. I'll personally guide them during the specific training."
"Understood, Big Brother."
Ang Lee waved his hand and told his subordinates to get ready.
"Let me in. I want to see General Li."
"This is the military camp. Kick him out."
"I'm here to join the army. Why are you stopping me? Move aside."
When Li An heard the commotion outside, he subconsciously asked, "What's going on outside? Who's causing trouble?"
"General, it's a boorish man who insisted on barging into the camp."
A general who had just left turned around and returned to the tent.
Ang Lee nodded and walked out of the tent.
"The general is here."
One of the soldiers shouted. Immediately, the crowd retreated to the side.
Ang Lee could clearly see that the one causing trouble was a burly middle-aged man with a dozen companions behind him.
"Are you the one causing trouble here?"
Ang Lee asked.
"You're General Li? You look quite young."
The middle-aged man was slightly surprised. He had heard of Ang Lee's fame, but he didn't expect him to be even younger than he had imagined.
"Many thanks."
Ang Lee smiled. Seeing the other party's strong figure, he already had thoughts of recruiting him.
The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment before he hurriedly said, "General Li, this commoner is here to join the army, but these guard dogs won't let me in."
"What did you say? The general has already given the order that this time, only Luzhou locals will be accepted. No outsiders will be accepted, especially northerners."
The guards were infuriated and shouted.
"General Li, why don't you accept outsiders? Northerners aren't any worse than southerners."
Ang Lee had indeed given these orders. This was because northerners weren't used to the hot climate of the south, so they didn't accept northerners. However, the middle-aged man in front of him was exceptionally strong, which made Ang Lee want to recruit him.
"What's your name?"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
