In the late first month of the first month, Wang Xiaolie, Shao Ling, and Niu Gao brought 1,800 troops to Xinye. At the same time, 5,000 civilians from Xiangyang Prefecture, Dengzhou and Tangzhou were recruited for a month to rebuild Xinye City and repair nearby roads.
It took three days for the army to finally settle down. Wang Xiaolie summoned Niu Gao and Shao Ling to discuss the next action.
Wang Xiaolie said: "Except for the garrison troops in various states and counties, we have less than two thousand people left. Most of these two thousand people are like soldiers. They are tall and strong and can be used as elite soldiers after training. In addition, there are several states and counties. Soldier-like personnel will be sent here within two months. According to my estimate, there will be no less than five or six thousand people. I want to divide these armies into three parts. You two will each take one part, and I will take one part."
After hearing this, Shao Ling was surprised: "Why? When the officials raised their troops, how did several generals know that the number of states was going to be reduced?"
Wang Xiaolie said: "After these few months, coupled with constant study, I can see that you two are the most suitable to lead troops. The others are a little worse and need more experience. Now let them guard the prefectures and counties. , when you have officials, you still have to join the army."
Shao Ling nodded and did not ask any further questions. He himself could see that, except for himself, the others in the army could not be said to be bad at leading an army, but they all had no idea how to train and how to command. It is inappropriate for them to go to the new wilderness to train elite troops. Wang Xiaolie decided to come to Xinye with Niu Gao after careful consideration.
Xinye is located in Dengzhou. Although Niu Gao is known as the prefect, his main focus is still on military training.
Looking at the two people, Wang Xiaolie said: "In these troubled times, the army is the most important. The reason why I chose Xinye is because it is at the junction of several states and sparsely populated. Being far away from the prosperous place allows the army to train with peace of mind. Returning to several neighboring states, the army can attack at any time. Now we have Zhai Taiwei in the north, and there are no strong enemies in other directions. Zhai Taiwei belongs to a large family in Luoyang, so we have to stick to the place and don't have to worry too much. The main direction of our defense now should be to the east. Du Liushou dug up the Yellow River last year, which will cause a lot of trouble."
Du Chong dug the Yellow River, and the Yellow River took the Si River and flowed into the Huaihe River. Many places were flooded. Coupled with the Jin soldiers going south, military disasters and floods, the next few years will definitely be uneven. Judging from Du Chong's appearance, he didn't mean to defend Kaifeng Mansion. There would be chaos later.
Niu Gao said: "Zhizhou, training five or six thousand soldiers is not a small number. Not to mention anything else, the cost of raising soldiers is a lot of money. Not to mention destroying Yang Jin, there are many more war horses in the army. Raising horses It costs a lot.”
Wang Xiaolie nodded: "You are right. After killing Yang Jin, we got a lot of horses from him. I calculated that there are 1,600 horses in the army that can be used as war horses. There are also some that can only be ridden. More than 800 horses. In addition to those used elsewhere, I want to transport all 1,600 war horses and 300 riding horses to Xinye. These horses will be organized into 2,000 cavalry. You will be the commander of the oxen. .”
Niu Gao hesitated. He crossed his hands and said, "The general will obey your orders!"
Wang Xiaolie nodded. Said: "In addition, we also have to find ways to breed horses ourselves. This dynasty has always been short of horses, and the Jin Army banned sales to the south, so we can only raise them ourselves. Fangcheng Mountain is not tall, and there are many gentle slopes. I want to Set up a horse prison in Fangcheng County and send special personnel to raise horses. Although the water and soil are not as good as those in the north, if you raise them carefully, you can always raise some good horses. "
Shao Ling said: "Zhizhou, horses like cool weather. Especially war horses, they need an open space, wide grassland, and cool weather. This dynasty has set up many horse prisons, but they have never been able to raise good horses. Except for Shaanxi, Hedong and other places, where can there be Want to join the army? This matter is a little difficult."
Wang Xiaolie said: "It all depends on people. As long as you work hard, you can still raise good horses even if it is more difficult. It may be less, but it is better than nothing. When marching and fighting, how can you do without horses? In addition to horses, you must also raise them. Cattle, raise mules. They cannot be used as war horses, but they are always good for use as pack animals."
Shao Ling and Niu Gao looked at each other and said nothing. But they knew in their hearts that Wang Xiaolie was sick and had to seek medical treatment urgently. Since the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, the Central Plains forces have wanted to raise horses, but where can they raise them? Most of the war horses of the Song Dynasty were traded from the northwest. After the Xixia Rebellion, the number of horses was greatly reduced, so that many cavalry in the Forbidden Army were seriously short of horses.
After the arrangement was completed, Wang Xiaolie stood up. Said: "Let's go and look around. There are not many residents around Xinye, and they have all been moved in the past three days. From now on, there will be military camps within these twenty miles."
After leaving the commander's tent, he saw a series of military tents. Outside the military tent, there were withered and yellow weeds everywhere, ranging from shallow to knee-high to extraordinary tall.
Looking at the surrounding scenery, Wang Xiaolie said: "Xinye has been a prosperous place since ancient times. How could I have imagined that it is like this now. Alas, so many great things have happened in Wanluo, but now it has become a place that no one cares about. It's okay. , so desolate, it’s perfect for military training.”
Niu Gao said: "The land here is flat and there is no shortage of water. All the cultivated land is good. Zhizhou, the soldiers who come here can cultivate fields in addition to training. Since ancient times, the army has always been the only way to cultivate fields. "
Wang Xiaolie shook his head: "One moment, another moment. Let the army farm, although it can harvest some food, but the combat effectiveness will be reduced. Since the Tang Dynasty, war has been different from before. Without a professional army, it is difficult to win on the battlefield. An army must have an army We can’t be like the Forbidden Army. They train every few days and go to school every month. Everyone is lazy. The troops who come here must be strictly trained!"
Niu Gao shuddered and hurriedly said yes.
"However, in addition to soldiers, the army also has people who cook, transport food, and do other miscellaneous tasks. They can farm, plant some food, grow some vegetables, and raise some pigs and sheep. We don't expect them to supply military food. It would be good if the army could eat better."
Having said this, Wang Xiaolie smiled. In my previous life, being a cook in the army was a legend, and there were many legends about it. It was a legend that evolved under special conditions and was written by a group of special people in a special army. In most cases, this is not possible.
In the era of cold weapons, the physical fitness of the army is very important. With tall men and large horses, equipped with exquisite armor and equipment, it is indeed not something that ordinary armies can resist. The military model of this era is actually equivalent to the simplest physical examination in future generations. Those who fit the mold of a soldier can serve as soldiers rushing into battle. There are not many of them and they are very valuable. The army must be carefully allocated, such as which people will be cavalry, which people will be infantry, and which people will be archers. As for logistics troops such as baggage and food, the physical requirements can be lower.
As the most elite infantry rushing into battle, nothing can be wasted. For Wang Xiaolie's plan, these people must be carefully trained and have nothing to worry about. The height of the crossbowman can be different, but the strength must be great. The cavalry must be flexible and their physical conditions can be relaxed.
Shao Ling said: "This arrangement is the best. There are no homes within twenty miles here. If you don't grow your own, it will be difficult to eat fresh vegetables. Food can be transported from outside, but vegetables are difficult."
The three people looked around at the terrain with great interest. The land here is fertile. If you choose a place near a river, you can develop a vegetable plot.
After returning to the commander's tent, soldiers came to report, and Zhang Jun of Tangzhou sent a letter.
Taking the letter, Wang Xiaolie opened it and frowned after reading it.
Putting down the letter, Wang Xiaolian said: "Zhang Jun reported that something happened in Caizhou in the east. In December, Du Liu in Tokyo ordered Yue Fei and Sang Zhong to attack his generals Zhang Yong and Wang Shan. Zhang Yonghe Wang Shan fled south. When they arrived at Huaining Prefecture, the two had differences and parted ways. Wang Shan went to Bozhou, and Zhang Yong went to Caizhou. Now Zhang Yong occupied Queshan County and was known as "Zhang Mangdang". The surrounding thieves responded. Chaos arose."
After hearing this, Shao Ling said: "Queshan is not far from Tangzhou. Will Zhang Yong attack Tangzhou?"
Wang Xiaolie sighed: "It's hard to say. I've always been afraid of chaos in Kaifeng Mansion, but finally there was chaos. These rebels went south, and they naturally bullied the weak and feared the strong. If you can't fight, someone will always come to fight you. If they can fight, they will naturally He escaped. Send someone to see Zhang Yong first to see what he wants. If you want to attack Tangzhou, you have no choice but to fight him!"
Shao Ling and Niu Gao nodded, their faces serious.
