webnovelfull Chapter 673 Hands-on Instruction
Chapter 673 Hands-on Instruction
The camp currently has 3,000 people, including 1,000 guerrilla trainees who are taught by Shu Mazhong on a daily basis, and 2,000 special forces members who are commanded by Colonel Zhou Shan.
They are grouped together because the trainees are also soldiers who need military training, and special operations are also required when they go deep behind enemy lines.
At the command of the five men entering the camp, the three thousand soldiers immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed to the drill ground to assemble. The assembly was exceptionally fast and the process was very orderly, which greatly pleased Guan Xing.
After the troops had assembled and stood in formation on the drill ground, Liu Shan took the lead in speaking. Looking at the soldiers, he shouted loudly, "I have nothing to say, but I just want to ask you: have your military pay been paid on time? Have your daily meals been provided?"
As the crown prince, Liu Shan did not need to fight. He only needed to manage the logistics and prevent the soldiers from bleeding on the front lines and weeping at the rear.
Zhou Shan replied loudly, "Your Highness, rest assured, the military pay and provisions are in full swing. It's just that we have to cook our own meals. Now everyone's cooking skills have been trained, and they all want to invite Your Highness and Marquis Shence to taste our cooking."
Guan Xing personally oversaw the supply of this large army, so there was no shortage of supplies. Although Guan Xing provided them with generous supplies, he did not assign any cooks. If they wanted to eat, they had to cook for themselves. If they didn't know how to cook, they had to eat raw. If they couldn't eat, they had to go hungry. After all, there were no cooks to serve you when you were behind enemy lines.
Forced by circumstances, the soldiers had no choice but to take turns cooking for themselves. After a few months, not only ordinary trainees, but even Shu Ma Zhong and Zhou Shan had developed excellent cooking skills. With this skill, even if they didn't join the army, they could easily find a county town to open a restaurant and live a comfortable life.
Liu Shan laughed upon hearing this, "Don't worry, we won't go back for now. We'll enjoy your cooking every day from now on. Now, let Marquis Shence tell you about your mission."
Guan Xing stepped onto the high platform, and Liu Shan took a half step back to give him the main seat. Guan Xing nodded to Liu Shan and then turned to face the soldiers, shouting, "As the saying goes, 'An army is raised for a thousand days to be used for one.' The court provides us so that we can step up in critical moments. Now that we have mastered our skills, it is time for us to serve the court. Are you ready?"
Zhou Shan answered on behalf of the soldiers: "We are ready at any time. Marquis Shence, please give the order."
They studied in the camp for nearly half a year, and now they are all bursting with confidence, feeling that they have special skills and can dominate the world as soon as they leave the camp.
Guan Xing continued to roar: "I told you when we first entered the camp that our mission is the same as when we dealt with the Wu army in Jiangdong: to penetrate deep into the heart of Cao Wei, gather troops, establish a base, and cooperate with the court's northern expedition. Moreover, His Majesty has clearly stated that your merits will be calculated based on the number of troops you raise behind enemy lines. If you raise a hundred men, you will be a garrison commander; if you raise a thousand men, you will be a battalion commander; if you raise three thousand men, you will be a colonel; if you raise ten thousand men, you will be a general. If you have the ability to raise one hundred thousand troops, you will be directly ennobled as a marquis and appointed as one of the Four Expeditionary Generals and Four Garrison Commanders."
"In short, as long as you have the ability to build a team, the court will provide you with a position. If you can establish merit, the court will not be stingy with rewards. Moreover, I guarantee that His Highness the Crown Prince and I will personally oversee this matter, and no one will embezzle your credit."
As soon as these words were spoken, a thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd. These men were elites selected from tens of thousands of soldiers, and they were all from humble or commoner backgrounds. What they feared most was not their hard work, but the lack of reward for their efforts, and the loss of their hard-earned merits to their superiors or aristocratic sons. Now, with Liu Bei's promise and Liu Shan and Guan Xing's guarantee, they were naturally fearless.
Zhou Shan had already been granted the title of General of Miscellaneous Rank for his merits. Now, he was acting as a Colonel with the rank of General, which was quite an achievement. However, his title was only that of Earl of Yongning. Therefore, he wanted to advance further and strive to become Marquis of Yongning.
After all, being enfeoffed as a marquis was the ultimate dream of every man in the Han Dynasty. Although Liu Bei added the title of duke above marquis after he ascended the throne, dukes were too rare and the conditions for being enfeoffed were too harsh. Ordinary people dared not even dream of it. Therefore, being enfeoffed as a marquis was still the ultimate dream of every man in the Han Dynasty.
Imagining the wonderful scene of being promoted from Earl to Marquis, Zhou Shan excitedly shouted, "We are ready. When shall we depart, Marquis Shence?"
Guan Xing laughed and said, "No rush. We'll have seven days of classes first to check your studies during this period, then you'll have a crash course in various skills. After that, I'll take you to suppress bandits and conduct practical training during the bandit suppression. Once the training is over, you can go to Jiangbei to start your own businesses."
"But remember, this bandit suppression is for learning purposes, so I will only be in the rear to support you and will not participate in command. You will be responsible for the preparation of supplies, marching and retreat routes, and specific battle plans during the operation. If you encounter any problems, you can come and ask me at any time, but I will only provide you with suggestions and will not interfere with any of your decisions. You are responsible for everything, understand?"
Upon hearing this, the soldiers excitedly roared again, "Understood!"
A soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier. These soldiers are elite troops selected from the army. They are more capable than ordinary soldiers, and their ambitions are naturally greater. They always think about leading troops into battle and making achievements. However, they know that according to past practice, they are unlikely to have the opportunity to command battles while the old general is still alive. After all, there are only so many positions, and if others take them, they will not be able to grab them.
But now, Guan Xing has actually handed over command to them, allowing them to act freely while also providing support and being ready to clean up their messes. In other words, even if the command fails, there's no need to worry, as Guan Xing will help them clean up the mess.
This is equivalent to Guan Xing teaching them step by step, kneading the food and personally feeding it to them. If they still can't grow up, they will be too sorry for Guan Xing's investment.
Guan Xing waved his hand and said, "That's all for today. Go back and digest what I just said, and plan your own work style and development path in your mind. We'll have our formal intensive training tomorrow morning. Dismissed."
After everyone bowed and took their leave, Guan Xing called out to the crowd, "Captain Sun Lang, come here for a moment."
This group of people were selected from the military. Before joining the camp, they all held positions in the military, ranging from sergeant to captain. For example, Li Gousheng, who made great contributions in the battle of Guan Xing to annihilate Lu Xun, has been promoted to captain.
However, there were also some exceptional talents who did not fight alongside Guan Xing, such as Sun Lang.
Sun Lang was a subordinate recruited by Guan Yu during his Northern Expedition. He broke through the encirclement of Cao Wei and returned to Guan Yu's side. After his return, Guan Yu gave him the position of Colonel and entrusted him to Guan Xing for proper training, preparing to send him back to Jiangbei to fight as a guerrilla during the Northern Expedition.
Before joining Guan Yu, Sun Lang was a bandit leader in Liangjia, a local bigwig. He had a natural advantage in having connections while fighting guerrilla warfare in his hometown. How could such a resource-rich talent with his own connections not be well cultivated?
Sun Lang stepped onto the high platform, bowed, and said, "Your subject Sun Lang greets Your Highness the Crown Prince and Marquis Shence. May I ask what orders Marquis Shence has?"
Guan Xing patted his shoulder and laughed, "It's not really an order, I just wanted to ask if you're settling in well in the camp."
Sun Lang nodded and said, "My brothers are great, they don't discriminate against me at all. I'm just a little worried about the brothers in Jiangbei. Don't worry, Lord Shence, I'll be the first to sign up when we need to go to Jiangbei to fight as guerrillas."
He once commanded several thousand soldiers in Liangjia, but unfortunately, after Guan Yu's defeat at Xiangfan, his brothers were also killed and scattered by the Wei army, leaving him to escape back to Jiangnan with only a few dozen men. He has never forgotten this grudge.
As a bandit leader, Sun Lang already had experience leading troops, and now, having received professional training from Guan Xing, he was brimming with confidence and eager to return to his hometown to practice against Wei Jun again.
Guan Xing laughed and said, "You'll get used to it. There's no rush to take revenge. Sharpening your axe won't delay your work. It's not too late to settle scores with the Wei army after you've mastered your skills. Besides, that day isn't far off."