As Director Wang had said, it was time to act.
By mid-May, Sima Yue had reorganized the Imperial Guards.
The number of soldiers he managed to win over wasn’t large—just over twenty thousand.
With such a small force, it was difficult to restore the old formations of the Seven Guards and the Yamen Army, let alone form three new battalions.
The current state of the Imperial Guards was dire: many units were severely depleted or completely wiped out, and the ranks were thin.
This was not a condition suitable for battle, so a reorganization was necessary.
After discussions within the military council, it was decided to form two main battalions, left and right, along with some independent units like the Youzhou Cavalry, to form the new Imperial Guards.
An incomplete formation was dangerous and could lead to heavy losses on the battlefield.
Thus, the reorganization plan was finalized.
Each of the two main battalions would have around eight to nine thousand soldiers, a mix of infantry and cavalry.
The infantry would be heavily armored, while the cavalry would be lightly armored—horses without armor.
Additionally, the Youzhou Cavalry would have a thousand heavily armored cavalry—both men and horses clad in armor.
The elite cavalry unit was reduced to a smaller force of two thousand five hundred light cavalry—men in leather armor, horses without armor.
Sima Yue also recruited retired Imperial Guards to help train new recruits.
However, this wasn’t happening immediately because only the resources from Yuzhou had reached the capital, and funds from other regions hadn’t arrived yet.
Without sufficient resources, large-scale recruitment and formation of new troops weren’t possible, so they could only prepare for now.
Shao Xun attended only one of the several military reorganization meetings, offering some standard suggestions.
He couldn’t help but reflect on how dialectical thinking always proved useful.
Despite all its flaws, Luoyang had one thing that other places in the country couldn’t match: an abundance of skilled craftsmen, a vast arsenal of weapons, and a constant influx of scholars and officials from other regions who brought wealth and goods.
This reminded Shao Xun of a historical figure, Han Jian, who once held Emperor Zhaozong of Tang hostage in Huazhou.
Officials, nobles, scholars, and merchants all flocked to Huazhou, allowing Han Jian to collect taxes and amass wealth.
Although the Western Jin dynasty lacked a proper commercial tax system, the craftsmen in Luoyang were invaluable.
From low-end farming tools to high-end luxury goods, there were skilled artisans for everything.
As long as Luoyang wasn’t blockaded and raw materials could enter the city, these craftsmen could produce anything.
This was a treasure that even the most desperate rebel armies couldn’t obtain.
Another advantage of Luoyang was that it was the stronghold of imperial power, where the influence of powerful families was greatly suppressed.
In times of chaos, even a common soldier could kill a member of a noble family, something that would be difficult to do in other regions.
This was why Pan Tao had warned Shao Xun to be careful when he went to Yingchuan.
After the meeting, Shao Xun stayed in the military camp, focusing on training his troops.
He personally led a unit of ten squads, each with fifty soldiers, mostly infantry.
There were also some new recruits and young soldiers, as well as a special training unit of thirty elite soldiers who acted as Shao Xun’s personal guard, even though he wasn’t officially entitled to one.
The training was rigorous, with a focus on individual skills, recognizing signals, and practicing various military formations.
Shao Xun also made sure to test his soldiers’ tactical thinking by posing practical problems, such as how to safely pass through a narrow and dangerous terrain.
During one training session, Shao Xun asked his young soldiers to come up with a plan to safely navigate a treacherous path.
One of the squad leaders, Wang Que’er, suggested sending out scouts to avoid ambushes.
However, Shao Xun pressed him with detailed questions about how many scouts to send, how far they should go, and how they should communicate.
Wang Que’er struggled to answer, realizing that he hadn’t thought through the details.
Shao Xun used this as a teaching moment, emphasizing the importance of attention to detail.
He then asked the other soldiers to come up with their own plans for deploying scouts and handling the passage through dangerous terrain.
The soldiers offered various suggestions, such as securing high ground, moving in formation, and sending elite troops ahead to clear the way.
Shao Xun was pleased with the discussion, as it encouraged the soldiers to think critically and work together.
He summarized their ideas into a clear set of instructions: send scouts far ahead to detect enemy forces, secure high ground to check for ambushes, send elite troops to clear the path, move in formation with full armor, and only relax after safely passing the dangerous area.
After the discussion, Shao Xun had the soldiers practice archery, ensuring they were well-rounded in their training.
The session ended with the soldiers feeling more confident and prepared for the challenges ahead.
(End of Chapter)