When Shao Xun returned to the Piyong, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Without the Commander, it felt like they had lost their backbone, and everything they did felt uneasy.
But as soon as he returned, everyone came back to life.
Their hands and feet became more diligent, their minds stopped wandering, and they worked with renewed vigor.
This was the effect of a true leader.
"Commander," the team leaders and Yang Bao came forward to salute and report the situation.
"Who are you?" Shao Xun asked, looking at Yang Bao, whose face was wrapped in several layers of cloth, emitting the smell of medicinal herbs, with only his eyes, nose, and mouth visible.
"Commander, it's me, Yang Bao. I returned just a step ahead of you," Yang Bao said anxiously.
"You didn't stay to recover from your injuries?"
"It's just a flesh wound, nothing serious."
Shao Xun nodded in approval.
"You're still quite brave."
Back then, he hadn't seen clearly, but it seemed Yang Bao had been slashed in the face.
However, with his helmet and armor, unless he was hit in a vital spot, it was hard to kill him.
This guy probably just played dead on the spot.
Since there were many people around, Shao Xun decided to let it go and not embarrass Yang Bao further.
"Speak one by one," Shao Xun said as he sat down, looking at everyone.
Mi Huang was nowhere to be found, which made Shao Xun quite frustrated.
The war wasn't over yet, brother.
If we get ambushed now and the commander isn't here, who will take responsibility if we lose?
"Commander, the soldiers have been diligently reviewing their lessons, honing their martial skills, cooking meals, and repairing equipment. There has been no slack," Wu Qian was the first to report.
"Have the instructors caused any trouble?"
"They only teach reading and writing, occasionally sharing some historical anecdotes. However, that young master from the Yu family has been quoting classics and sharing a lot."
"I see," Shao Xun nodded.
"Next."
"Commander, the soldiers have been hunting down remnants of the enemy these past few days. We've captured over a thousand sets of armor, with at least seven hundred still usable. The rest can be patched up and used as well," team leader Yao Yuan reported.
"We'll need to recruit a specialized group of support troops in the future," Shao Xun thought for a moment and suddenly had an idea.
Support troops have existed since ancient times.
For example, the original upper, middle, and lower armies (commonly known as the "Three Armies") had the lower army primarily responsible for logistical support.
However, in the Donghai Kingdom's royal army, both the upper and lower armies were combat troops, and during wartime, craftsmen and laborers were temporarily conscripted for logistical support—well, it seems most combat troops were temporarily conscripted back then...
Regardless, war is a serious matter, and it's best to be as professional as possible.
Saving money is great, but sometimes it comes at the cost of combat effectiveness.
In an era where professional warriors are prevalent, support troops also need rigorous military training and must be ready to fight.
When combat troops have vacancies, the first choice is to fill them from the support troops.
I wonder if I can convince the Minister of Works to reform the military system and establish a professional support troop, which would be perfect for these children and teenagers—though it seems quite difficult, even though the imperial cavalry already has long-term, fixed support troops.
"Next," Shao Xun waved his hand.
"Commander, I sent people to search south to the Luo River. The troops originally stationed there have already scattered, but the Xianbei cavalry hasn't crossed the river," team leader Yu An reported.
"Who were the ones who scattered?"
"Conscripted men from Xin'an County. They didn't even fight a single battle and just ran away."
Damn it, they scattered without even seeing the enemy.
What kind of soldiers are these? Shao Xun was exasperated.
If the enemy were all like this, he could probably perform a feat like taking the enemy general's head amidst ten thousand soldiers.
"The Xianbei won't come to die," he said.
"Next."
The team leaders reported one by one, with Yang Bao awkwardly standing at the end, wearing an embarrassed smile.
"Gentlemen," Shao Xun said after everyone had finished reporting, "the Minister of Works is going to rebuild the royal army. The troops here at Piyong will be merged into the lower army. I will be the commander of a battalion, and Commander Mi will become the Commandant. As for you all, some of you will have new battalion commanders."
He paused and looked around.
The room was silent for a moment before erupting into chaos.
"Commander, I'll follow you," Wu Qian, who was older and not as nimble on his feet but quick-witted, was the first to speak.
"The three teams you manage are my hard work. Even if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have taken you with me," Shao Xun nodded.
"Commander, I'll follow you too," Huang Biao said loudly.
"Commander, I won't follow anyone else but you."
"Commander..."
Everyone voiced their loyalty.
"Commander, I... I... I'll tend to your horse, brush it down," Yang Bao said softly.
"Oh? Didn't Marshal Liu arrange a position for you?" Shao Xun glanced at him.
Yang Bao hesitated, then mumbled, "In these times, following the Commander is the way to survive. Commander, I have strength, I can ride, I can shoot, and I've killed enemies."
"Since you're determined to follow me..."
Shao Xun pondered for a moment.
"How about becoming the commander of another battalion?"
"Commander, I—" Yang Bao was anxious.
Shao Xun raised his hand.
"Hold on. If you go to another battalion, you'll still be under me. Out of the five hundred soldiers in the battalion, at least forty percent are old comrades. You'll keep an eye on things for me and report back immediately if anything happens."
"Well... alright," Yang Bao reluctantly nodded, but still felt uneasy.
He glanced around, saw everyone was present, gritted his teeth, and said directly, "My loyalty to the Commander is as clear as the sun and moon. Commander, you must not abandon me."
"Haha," everyone burst into laughter.
Shao Xun also laughed.
"What are you thinking? You're an old comrade. As long as you work diligently, how could I possibly ignore you? Don't worry."
"That's good. I'll follow the Commander's orders," Yang Bao sighed in relief, his face slightly red.
But he didn't regret it.
The world is so cruel, what's wrong with wanting to survive? The Commander said I'm an "old comrade."
Some of you newcomers, do you have seniority like me? What are you laughing at! As long as I shamelessly stick to the Commander, don't cry when I ride over you in the future!
"That's settled then," Shao Xun clapped his hands, stopping the laughter.
"When we reorganize the army, Commander Mi will be in charge. I'll personally select five hundred men to lead. Those not chosen will go to another battalion, but we're still brothers. In times of crisis, we advance and retreat together. Understood?"
"Understood," everyone responded in unison.
Shao Xun waved his hand, dismissing them to return to their teams and continue training the soldiers.
After everyone left, Shao Xun asked Wu Qian for a roster.
"One hundred and forty-six in total, the youngest is nine, the oldest is nineteen, with seventy-two over fifteen," Wu Qian said softly.
"The children trust the Commander deeply, some of the younger ones are quite dependent."
"Hmm..."
Shao Xun nodded slightly.
After leading them for a year and a half, they were indeed more obedient and had stronger execution than regular soldiers, as seen in the capture of Sima Yi.
Some of the youths didn't even know what fear was, acting without hesitation when needed.
Perhaps they hadn't yet experienced the harsh realities of society, weren't burdened by too many interests, and valued emotions more.
Once they were thrown into society and tempered for a decade or so, with their own entanglements and interests, they wouldn't be so pure anymore.
He thought of how General Okamura Yasuji evaluated Japanese soldiers.
Okamura believed that pre-war units, with soldiers generally young, idealistic, passionate, daring, and fierce, were unafraid of death.
By the time the Wuhan Campaign ended, he found that many of the replacement soldiers sent from the homeland were in their thirties, veterans with decent military skills but, after years in society, no longer believed in the military's rhetoric, spiritually "broken," becoming "old soldiers."
Of course, Shao Xun's situation was different from Okamura's, but there were some similarities.
Even as these students grew older, the teacher-student relationship remained, and the bonds formed in their youth persisted.
Even if they weren't as pure, they were still more reliable than random recruits.
If he were to leave the Yue Mansion and go elsewhere, these student soldiers were the most likely to follow him.
"I'll take all three teams with me," Shao Xun said.
"You'll be a commander in my battalion."
Wu Qian was overjoyed.
After a lifetime as a low-ranking soldier, he never expected to become a commander in his old age.
The unpredictability of life was truly remarkable.
"Thank you, Commander, for your guidance," Wu Qian said without hesitation, his eyes slightly red.
"We're brothers, no need for such formality," Shao Xun laughed.
"As a commander, you won't be responsible for training—I'll handle that myself. Your main focus will be on the three teams of children, leading them well."
Shao Xun had explained the term "leader" before, so Wu Qian understood.
"That's simple. Commander, rest assured, I'll manage everything neatly and won't cause any delays."
"Our little group still has a long way to go," Shao Xun sighed after giving his instructions.
"A small figure like Wang Bing, heh. We still need time, more time."
After Chen Yougen brought up the idea of rebellion and fleeing, Shao Xun had seriously considered it.
The conclusion was that if they were to form a group and leave now, becoming bandits or even rebels, there would be no future.
First, there weren't enough resources to arm the troops.
Military training was a highly resource-intensive activity.
Forget about food, just the equipment consumption was enormous.
Without a stable production base and substantial reserves, it was impossible to maintain long-term training.
The forces led by rebel leaders might seem impressive, roaming everywhere, but before the Jin military was completely exhausted, they could only "roam," unable to establish a foothold.
The outcome would either be annihilation or surrender, but surrendering meant being controlled by others, with no chance for growth—unless the "higher-ups" collapsed, which might present an opportunity.
Second, there weren't enough experienced hands to train the army and share the burden.
Back then, Mi Huang had sent him two hundred men, many of whom were deserters from the Luoyang central army.
They were skilled in martial arts and military formations, able to share the training load—a talent sorely lacking among rebel forces.
Finally, once branded as a rebel leader, it would be hard to attract followers.
Poverty, hunger, being chased around, no time to develop a base, lack of talent and weapons, and being looked down upon—it would be hard to turn things around.
Currently, no rebel force in the Jin dynasty was significant.
Qi Wannian, Zhang Chang, Shi Bing, and Feng Yun had either been wiped out or were on the verge of collapse.
Even if a time traveler led them, with the countryside filled with fortified manors, how much better could they fare?
The social environment was different.
With powerful families controlling the countryside's land and population, even if you defeated the government forces and gained territory, you could only achieve superficial rule, a mere facade.
Without an official identity, the manor lords and powerful families wouldn't recognize you, and without taxes, you could only continue to roam.
Without tens of thousands of troops to violently break the situation, an official identity was crucial.
So, he still needed time to develop, to cultivate the first batch of truly loyal officers.
Of course, if things became truly unbearable, there was no choice but to prepare for the worst.
But clearly, they weren't at that point yet.
"Commander, Commander Mi has returned," Chen Yougen hurried over and called out.
"I'll go greet him," Shao Xun gave Wu Qian a firm pat on the shoulder and headed out.
(End of Chapter)