roccoschili Chapter 95 Planning and Training
Chapter 95 Planning and Training
Discussions arose again in the hall.
Eighteen thousand shi (a unit of dry measure), more than double that of Qulu and Suiling. With that number laid out before us, everyone knows which option to choose.
Li Sheng immediately decided on the target: to capture Xiang County!
There was another reason for attacking Xiaxiang: Xiaxiang was located in the center of Xiapi, and taking it would mean controlling the vital routes to the east, west, north, and south.
After deciding on the strategy to attack Xiang County, the entire Taiping Army started turning like a tightly wound machine.
"A skilled craftsman must first sharpen his tools," and "An army marches on its stomach," the ancients revealed the core principles of military campaigns long ago.
Li Sheng assigned tasks to them based on their individual strengths.
Li Feng was in charge of supplies and logistics. He was cautious by nature, and Li Sheng was particularly at ease having him in charge of this.
Liu Wu was in charge of training the troops, which was his forte. After these days of training, he had also honed his skills in training soldiers.
The 7,000-strong force was divided into five battalions, and they began training every day before dawn. They practiced drills, bayonet fighting, archery, and the operation of siege equipment—nothing could be neglected.
The recruits' arms and legs ached, but not one of them complained. Everyone knew that if they didn't train well, not only would they not be able to hold onto the few acres of land they were assigned, but they would also be letting down General Li for the extra meals he had given them.
Two liters of rice every day—this is a life I never dreamed of before.
Meanwhile, the camp leader in charge of the craftsmen was also busy.
Li Feng gathered the county's existing blacksmiths, carpenters, and leatherworkers, and they worked day and night. Swords were sharpened again, damaged armor was mended, broken bowstrings were replaced, and when there weren't enough arrows, bamboo shafts were whittled and iron arrowheads cast. Li Sheng melted down all the ironware he had seized from powerful families, and except for making farming tools, he forged it all into swords and spears. In the blacksmith shops in the county town, the clanging and hammering of metal echoed from morning till night.
Li Sheng placed even greater emphasis on intelligence.
With his knowledge from later generations, he naturally knew that intelligence was of paramount importance in any war.
He had Liu Wu select several dozen clever men from the scout team, divide them into several groups, and have them disguise themselves as merchants, beggars, and herb gatherers to scout along the roads leading to Xiaxiang County. They were to find out which roads were easy to travel, where there were water sources, where they could set up camp, and where there were villages to replenish supplies, and then report back quickly on horseback.
Another group was led by Liu Lu himself. He selected a dozen or so of his usually clever brothers, dressed them in tattered clothes, disguised them as refugees, and mingled with the flow of refugees leaving the city, heading towards Xiaxiang County. This guy was a master at gathering intelligence, and Li Sheng had high hopes for him.
Before leaving, Li Sheng solemnly gave Liu Lu some instructions.
"Once inside, don't rush into anything. First, find out the details of the city. How many city gates are there? How high are the city walls? Where are the garrisons? Where are the granaries? Where is the county government? These are the key points to investigate."
Liu Lu nodded and grinned.
"Don't worry, Brother Sheng. I may not have many other skills, but I'm best at drilling holes and making tunnels."
After saying this, he mounted his horse and led his men away on the main road outside the South Gate.
Watching Liu Lu's departing figure, Li Sheng paused to gaze into the distance before returning to camp.
Time slipped away slowly amidst the hustle and bustle.
……
Outside Xiapi City, a corner of the drill ground.
Dust billowed, and the sound of horses' hooves echoed.
Li Sheng rode a chestnut warhorse, his legs gripping the horse's flanks, his body leaning slightly forward, a wooden spear in his hand, charging towards a row of scarecrows. The horse wasn't running very fast, but it was much more stable than it had been ten days ago; at least he wasn't swaying from side to side on its back anymore.
Chen Yuan stood at the edge of the training ground, dumbfounded.
Ten days. From the day the plan to attack and capture Xiang County was made, it has only been ten days.
Ten days ago, Li Sheng was just a novice with a rudimentary understanding of horsemanship. Now, however, he can thrust his spear while on horseback with practiced skill and an aura of fierce power.
He recalled how he had practiced riding a horse for three whole months before daring to go into battle. Just what kind of monster was this Li Sheng?
Li Sheng rode his horse around once and returned, dismounting with relatively nimble movements. He tossed the wooden spear to the guard beside him, took a few gulps of water from the water pouch, and only then did he notice Chen Yuan's expression.
"Zhongyi, what's wrong?"
Chen Yuan shook his head with a wry smile and cupped his hands in greeting.
"General, your talent is extraordinary, and I am truly humbled. When I first learned to ride a horse, it took me three whole months of practice before I dared to charge into battle. You, General, have reached such a level in just ten days; I am truly ashamed."
Li Sheng waved his hand dismissively.
"I only rely on my strength to hold the horse. As for skillful riding, I'm far from it. If Zhongyi has time, I'll have to ask you for some pointers."
Chen Yuanlian said he dared not.
He knew in his heart that Li Sheng was being modest. Some people are born for the battlefield, and Li Sheng was undoubtedly one of them.
Li Sheng handed the horse to his personal guard and dusted himself off.
"Let's go and take a look at the camp."
The military camp was located in the southeast corner outside the city, covering hundreds of acres, with tents stretching as far as the eye could see and flags fluttering in the wind.
Li Sheng, accompanied by Chen Yuan and several personal guards, moved from the east camp to the west camp, and from the south camp to the north camp. Wherever they went, the soldiers were intensifying their drills. Some battalions were practicing formations, with squad leaders shouting commands at the top of their lungs, the soldiers marching in perfect unison, raising clouds of dust; others were practicing bayonet fighting, wooden spears clashing and striking each other with a clattering sound; still others were practicing archery, targets set a hundred paces away, arrows raining down like locusts as the bowstrings twanged.
The army was no longer as shabby as before; with Li Sheng's full support, everything was developing in the best possible direction.
At this moment, Li Sheng walked up to a group of soldiers who were resting and stopped.
The squad leader recognized Li Sheng and quickly stood up to salute him. Several soldiers also stood up, looking both nervous and excited.
"Sit down, everyone sit down."
Li Sheng waved his hand and squatted down first.
"Have you had a tough time training these past few days?"
The squad leader eagerly answered.
"Reporting to the general, it's not hard work! The brothers are all eager to prove themselves."
Li Sheng smiled and glanced at the soldiers. They were all men in their twenties or thirties, with dark complexions and large hands, clearly from farming backgrounds. He pointed to one of them, who looked the most honest, and asked...
"What's your name? How many people are in your family?"
The soldier was so nervous when his name was called that his voice trembled slightly.
"Reporting to the General, my name is Zhang Gou'er. There are five people in my family: my father, mother, wife, and a three-year-old child."
"Has the land been allocated yet?"
"It's been divided! Thirty-two mu! Right on the riverbank south of the city, the land is incredibly fertile!"
When Zhang Gou'er talked about the land distribution, his eyes lit up and his voice stopped trembling.
"Before, we farmed for the Zhou family, working ourselves to the bone all year round, and after paying rent, we barely had a few bushels left. Now the land is our own, and we don't even have to pay taxes for the first year. My father was so happy that tears streamed down his face, saying he never dared to dream of such a thing. General, you are our whole family's benefactor!"
Li Sheng shook his head.
"I am not your benefactor; you earned it yourselves. Xiapi was conquered by everyone, and the land was distributed among everyone; it is all rightfully yours."