Busy days always fly by, and it’s the beginning of February in a blink of an eye. Fresh new buds sprouted from the ancient trees outside the Palace of Winds, welcoming the increasingly warm and brilliant sunshine. The north wind is blowing softly, and the city of Qincongcan is filled with pious prayers. The people of the capital sang praises to the glory of the Lord God, as if they were still in the New Year's ceremony.
During the New Year Festival, all the generals gathered together, and many officers from various ministries were in the capital. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Shulot summoned all his trusted generals in turn, sought advice from many generals, and drew on some historical experience. Finally, he compiled a reform plan for the legion, summoned the generals, and officially promulgated it in the kingdom!
The new army reform plan includes two parts. The first is to standardize the military system: establish military positions with accurate classification and clarify the establishment of troops at all levels. The second, more eye-catching thing is the reorganization of the army: reorganizing the kingdom's legions and determining the positions of generals.
Shulot has been involved in military affairs for many years and has long thought about the alliance's military system. This plan has actually been brewing in his mind for a long time. It's just that the reform of the legion is of great importance and cannot be done lightly. He had waited until now, when the political situation of the kingdom was roughly settled, before he had a suitable opportunity to implement it.
The first part of the legion reform is to standardize the military system, which is generally based on the "52" system of military organization.
First of all, "ten" is a number that can be counted with both hands. A group of 10 people is the smallest unit of the army, and a team leader is established to manage it. Every ten people share a wheelbarrow for carrying baggage. Two groups of 20 people form a small team with a captain. This is a customary number for the Alliance Scout Team, often represented by four slaps. Team leaders and squad leaders are held by second- to fourth-level samurai and are the most basic non-commissioned officers.
Then, the five squads formed a squadron of 100 men, with a centurion. The two squadrons form a brigade of 200 people, with a length of 200. 200 people are usually used as a standard tactical unit, which can effectively perform basic tactical tasks such as assault, harassment, encirclement, occupation, etc. Centurions and centurions usually correspond to fourth-level senior warriors and military nobles. They are the backbone of the kingdom's legion and the mid-level officers of the army.
From the hundred-man squadron upwards, each level of organization has additional war priests and military medical officers, whose positions are similar to the adjutants of the same level. War priests were responsible for daily prayers, pre-battle mobilization, and post-war funerals. The responsibilities of military medical officers are daily epidemic prevention in the military, deployment of medicinal herbs, and post-war treatment of the wounded. Military medical officers were either experienced warriors or priests who were proficient in herbal medicine.
Further up, five brigades were organized into battalions of 1,000 men, and the battalion commander was the commander of thousands. The thousand-man battalion is the standard unit for regional garrison. According to alliance tradition, the battalion commander of a thousand-man battalion corresponds to a military noble with more senior qualifications, or a hereditary noble with less senior qualifications.
Each thousand-man battalion has different tendencies based on different equipment and soldiers, and can be roughly divided into two categories: close combat battalions and long-range battalions. Thousand-man battalions in close combat often use spears or war clubs in battle formations, and generally require shields and a certain proportion of battle axes. The long-range thousand-man battalion will be equipped with longbows, crossbows, or more commonly thrown spears. Also belonging to the battalion-level organization, there is also the artillery battalion that has not yet been formed.
Finally, 4-8 thousand-man battalions form a kingdom army. The legion is the strategic unit of the kingdom, and the legion commander is the real responsible person. Among them, the 4,000-man legion is called the small legion, and the 8,000-man Hikipili is the full large legion. The legion commander needs at least the title of a hereditary noble and is one of the most important figures in the kingdom's military affairs.
From 10-man groups, 20-man squads, 100-man squadrons, 200-man brigades, 1,000-man battalions, to 4,000-8,000-man legions, from the addition of priests and medics to the differentiation of thousand-man battalions, the new military system has been clarified It eliminated the traditional tribal organization and unified the number of troops at all levels, which helped to increase the generals' control over the army.
In fact, the new military reform did not cause any controversy. When the king gave an order, the generals bowed and obeyed.
After standardizing the military system, the second part of the reform was the reorganization of the Kingdom's legions. The Mexica Army, the Tarasco Army, and the tribal soldiers of each tribe must accept dispersion and integration, and be unified under the same black wolf's royal flag.
The organization and size of the legion will directly affect the power and position of the generals. Only by relying on the supreme prestige of the king and the obedience of most warriors can the armies be effectively reorganized. After the news of the legion's reorganization came out, it caused a lot of quarrel among the generals.
Shulot met with generals one after another, summoned his cronies, and comforted officers at all levels. It was not until late February that the king established the specific formation of the army.
Before the reorganization, the kingdom's military armed forces were as high as 60,000 to 70,000. Among them, there are more than 14,000 direct Mexica legions, about 50,000 Tarasco troops stationed in the field, and two to three thousand scattered soldiers of the Tecos tribe and the Chichimec tribe.
More than half of the legions at the time of the extreme mobilization of the Kingdom of Tarasco were successively inherited by the feudal kingdoms in the lake. For the total population of more than 600,000 in the three counties of the feudal state, this level of ratio between soldiers and civilians would definitely not be sustainable for a long time. Therefore, this reorganization of the legion is naturally also a downsizing of the army.
The light breeze swayed the torches, and the solemn hall was solemn. Only the rustling of armor could be heard. Shulot sat high on the throne, with the generals in front of him surrounded by darkness, all of them silent.
"King's order: The King's Guards Corps is established, with a total of 6,000 people. It has 2,500 bronze-armored soldiers, 1,500 crossbow guards, and 2,000 vanguard throwers. The leader of the corps is the Honorable Noble, the Holy Eagle Warrior Commander, Bertard!"
Bertard, with a calm face, stepped forward and knelt down to worship. With a solemn look on his face, Shulot gave him a scepter that symbolized the identity of the legion commander, and a brand-new commander's weapon, a Qin-style bronze sword.
"The Guards will hold high the royal flag of the Black Wolf. Hold my scepter and rule for me; hold my sword and kill the enemy for me!"
"Your Highness, I am willing to die for you."
Bertard bowed his head and saluted. There is great power in his brief words.
"Bertard, my warrior captain, you will personally lead the bronze-armored army and accompany me day and night. My safety is entrusted to you!"
"Your Highness, I will definitely die before you."
The samurai commander stated affirmatively.
Shulot nodded slightly and shook the warrior chief's hair.
Three months ago, the Guards Corps began to draw elites from various ministries, and it has been established at this time. All 6,000 men in the legion will be out of work. These elite warriors will maintain high-intensity daily training, receive religious baptism from priests, and are always ready for sacred war.
The core bronze-armored army consists of 2,500 people, including 500 jaguar warriors wearing heavy armor and 2,000 longbow guards wearing medium armor. The bronze-armored soldiers will always be with the king to protect his safety. Under the protection of the new bronze armor, the combat effectiveness of this elite pro-army will exceed that of any imperial guard in the world, and it is enough to deal with a sudden attack of ten thousand people.
"Fifty years of life are like a dream and an illusion... As a king, how important it is to do a good job of protecting him!"
Distant thoughts flashed through the king's mind. After a slight pause, he continued to solemnly promulgate the decree.
"The Guards Corps, 1,500 strong crossbow guards, is led by the hereditary noble, Eagle Warrior Barda!"
Barda has returned from the capital. Upon hearing the king's order, he bowed his head and came forward with a respectful expression, kneeling on one knee to salute. As the envoy of the feudal kingdom in the lake, around his neck was an obsidian necklace given by King Avit, which was shining in the firelight.
The Jinnu Guards are temple guards who use crossbows. They belong to a devout religious legion and are capable of both long-range and melee combat. This elite crossbow battalion was originally led by veteran Etalik. However, Etalik had already gone to the southern Zicao County to take charge, so Shulot asked Barda to take over this elite guard.
Barda has followed the king for a long time. He has never shown outstanding military talents, and in terms of martial arts, he is just an ordinary warrior. It's just that he kept to himself and had extremely deep qualifications, but he managed to get through it and occupied a place among the generals. The rank of the Imperial Guard is half a level higher than that of an ordinary legion. With his experience and qualifications, he is enough to command a small legion of four thousand people.
"The vanguard throws 2,000 men, led by the hereditary noble, Black Wolf Toltec!"
Upon hearing the king's order, Black Wolf Toltec went up to the palace with a muffled voice and bowed his head to accept the order.
The Pioneer Throwing Battalion were actually tribal warriors who threw caltrops, selected from the Tecos and Chichimec tribesmen. These barbarian warriors wear light armor and hold short spears. They are strong, agile and fearless of death. They could sprint across the battlefield, throwing exploding caltrops and bronze-tipped javelins. Depending on the characteristics of the troops, they will be used for constantly moving raids or sieges with huge casualties.
Toltec is brave and courageous, and is the best candidate to command this barbarian army. But Black Wolf himself was not satisfied with this position. He made great achievements in the Western Expedition, and his achievements were enough to command an army.
After thinking about it for a long time, Shulot decided to polish his favorite general's temperament and improve his abilities before using him in a big way. The king then placed Toltec in the Guards Corps and ordered Black Wolf to be patient and follow Bertard to learn the strategy of commanding troops.
"King's order: Establish the Gyeonggi Legion with a total of 8,000 people. It has 3,000 Mexican warriors, 2,000 sky warriors, 2,000 Qincongcan warriors, and 1,000 Qinganbat warrior battalions. The commander of the corps is a noble noble and a holy city warrior. Chief, Orosh!”
Orosh looked solemn and fell to the ground in awe. Shulot also gave a scepter and a bronze sword.
"The Gyeonggi Army will hold high the flag of the Condor Legion. I will leave Orosh, the core of the feudal kingdom's hinterland, and the glorious royal capital to you!"
"Your Highness, as long as I am here, I will definitely take good care of my hometown in the capital!"
Orosh clenched his fists on his chest and patted his chest hard. Seeing this familiar action, Shulot smiled.
"Teacher Olosh, I am always at ease when you do things. You will personally lead the Mexica Warriors, and all the Holy City Warriors will be included in it. I will get enough bows and arrows. Train the warriors well, and let them They all master basic archery skills to reduce casualties during war...Teacher, I can only feel at ease if I leave the capital to you!"
The king smiled and whispered a few words before solemnly giving the order again.
"There are 2,000 sky warriors, led by the hereditary nobleman, the head of the Sky Family, Orta! There are 2,000 Qin Congcan warriors, led by the hereditary nobleman, the head of the Gray Earth Family, Puap! There are 1,000 warriors in the Qinganbat warrior camp, including military nobles, industrial and mining Director, Commander Necali!"
The three of them stepped forward to take orders at the same time. Horta looked respectful, Puap beaming. Necali suppressed the excitement in his heart, glanced at the king above him, and then at the generals around him. After more than ten years in the army, he finally reached the rank of senior general.
"I finally made it to the main hall, even though it was as the leader of the miners..."
Nekali's heart was churning, and he saluted solemnly on his face.
"Your Highness, I am willing to give you wings and live for your will!"
"Very good! Hold the battle stick and fight for me and serve the alliance. The light of the Lord God will shine on you!"
Shulot shook the hair of the three of them one by one and gave some serious words of encouragement.
In the Gyeonggi Army, Mexican warriors and Prepecha warriors accounted for half each. The Prepecha warriors were all selected from the surrendered army and divided into Horta and Puap. Among them, the Sky Warrior is from the Chapala Lake area, and the Qin Congcan Warrior is from around the capital, and the two are unfamiliar with each other. The design and arrangement of this kind of legion itself contains certain checks and balances.
"King's order: Establish the kingdom's first spear corps, with a total of 8,000 people. It has 6,000 spear warriors and 2,000 militia archers. The commander of the corps is a hereditary noble, Kuruka! The military flag is a spear and a crocodile!"
In the Mexican calendar, days one through twenty are represented by different symbols. The symbol for one is the crocodile, and the symbol for the number two is the wind.
Monkey Kuruka's eyes moved, but his expression remained calm. He carefully took the scepter and sword from the legion commander and bowed to the ground again.
"Your Highness, I will die for you."
Shulot smiled and nodded, holding the monkey's hair.
"Monkey, the First Lancer Corps is fully staffed. You and I will go to the Bayou County in the north, and then station there to guard against the Dogs in the north and Lake Chapala in the west."
"Your Highness, I will guard the north!"
"Not only must we defend it, but we must also take the initiative to rob the population. Well, I will talk to you in detail when we are on our way north."
"Do your will!"
Shulot smiled with satisfaction and patted the other party's shoulder.
The predecessor of the First Phalange Corps was the Mexican Phalange Corps, which was actually composed of elite militiamen who were promoted to warriors. During the Western Expedition, many of the Phalange Corps died in battle, so two battalions of Prepecha archers were recruited. These militia archers were selected, skilled in shooting and had good morale. They hold long wooden bows or long bamboo bows and can move flexibly, which can effectively complement the spear phalanx.
The 1st Phalance Corps will be stationed in the north. Monkey Kuruka serves as the leader of the regiment and is also responsible for local military and political affairs. He is the first official, which shows the importance of the king.
"King's order: Establish the kingdom's second spear corps, with a total of 8,000 people. It has 6,000 elite spear militiamen and 2,000 militia archers. The commander of the corps is a hereditary noble, Ezpan! The military flag is the spear and the wind!"
Ezpin stepped forward with joy in his eyes and a respectful expression. He took the scepter and sword from the legion commander, looked at them with gleaming eyes, then fell to the ground and paid homage.
"Your Highness, you are my only sun, the light that controls my life!"
Shulot laughed. He ordered loudly.
"Ezpan, the Second Lance Corps is mainly composed of militiamen, all of whom came from the surrendered troops of the Western Expedition. You must step up your training and reorganize them! The priest's teachings are the top priority, and the fields of the legion will also be classified. Your station is in the south of the Patzcuaro Lake area, so you must always pay attention to the surrounding situation!"
"Your Highness, follow your will! The Second Lancers Corps has been selected. Their loyalty to you will be as indestructible as mine, as indestructible as a rock. I will pay attention to the south!"
Ezpin kept lying on the ground to answer, respectfully not raising his head. It wasn't until he finished answering that he walked backwards and left. Seeing the scepter in Ezpin's hand, all the generals were a little jealous. The high-headed black wolf curled his lips and simply looked up without looking.
The Second Pike Corps was all selected from the surrendered troops stationed in the fields. Due to the heavy financial pressure on the kingdom, both spear legions were unable to completely retire. They own farmland at their base, farm during the busy season, accumulate food for the expedition, and train during the slack season to prepare for war.
Shulot held the staff and looked around. All the generals bowed their heads. After a moment, the king tapped the stone floor with the end of his staff. A crisp ding-dong sounded, announcing the end of the military discussion.
"Return to camp each, strengthen training, and prepare the army for war!"
"Do your will!"
Soon, the generals bowed and dispersed, leaving only the armored king thinking alone in the hall.
After the kingdom's army was reorganized, a total of four field legions, including the Imperial Guard, the Gyeonggi, the First Lancer, and the Second Lancer, were left, totaling 30,000 soldiers. Among them were fourteen thousand Mexica warriors, fourteen thousand Prepecha warriors, and two thousand tribal warriors.
The design of soldiers with this proportion also comes from some balancing considerations. As the people of the feudal country return and become attached, the number of local soldiers in the Lake District will gradually increase, and will eventually far exceed the limited number of Mexica warriors.
In total, this reorganization removed thirty-five thousand Tarascans from the fielding army to relieve financial pressure on the Lake District.
Among them, 30,000 garrison troops will arrange marriages between relatives, which will take several years to digest. These trained young men will be integrated into normal civilian villages and serve as professional logistics corps in large-scale wars. The other five thousand mining troops will be replaced by imported slaves and gradually become the garrison troops in the southwestern mining area. In addition to the four legions in the field, villages, towns and settlements in various places will issue weapons and form militias according to a certain proportion of the population.
Thinking of this, Shulot raised his head and looked at the distant sky.
"With a population of more than 600,000, we can maintain a huge army of 30,000 that can fight in the field... Even with the huge profits from copper and glass, and the food for the military and civilian villages, it is still difficult to last long. Haha, such a militancy and foreign conquests are inevitable. It must be done!”
The king's laughter dispersed in the long wind and soon disappeared without any sound. The fire flickers, containing burning will, sinking deep into the night.
A few days later, February came to an end, with a hint of warmth in the north wind. The Guards Corps and the First Lancer Corps set out from the royal capital at the same time and headed for Hekou County. The royal flag of Black Wolf is flying high, and the armor leaves of more than 10,000 warriors are clanging. The army marched majestically to the north, against the long wind coming from the plateau.
