Chapter Seven, The Eastern Expedition
Zheng Ke's expression appeared somewhat strange, leaving him momentarily at a loss for how to respond
The hunting training is conducted in units of small teams. The vast majority of teams typically only hunt small animals such as wild chickens and hares, with a few teams returning empty-handed. Only one team managed to hunt a large prey, specifically an adult black bear. As nightfall approached, there was still one team that had not returned.
It is like this. The new recruit steadied his emotions and said, "In the afternoon, our squad was hunting in the old forest to the west. We had already surrounded and killed a moose, but unexpectedly, a group of people suddenly charged in, claiming that the moose was their kill. As a result, a dispute broke out, and as the argument escalated, it turned into a physical confrontation. However, there were too many of them, at least around one hundred people, and our squad was outnumbered, so we were captured by them. I managed to sneak back while they were off guard."
Zheng Ke smiled wryly and said: "This is yet another trick by Meng Hu. He set up a ranch at the Fourth Division's base, raising quite a number of cattle and sheep. Oh, and by the way, this guy also organized some sort of transport team. If the local residents have any large items that need moving, they can seek help from the military, but they have to pay a fee."
Zhao Yue summoned his trusted aide Zheng Ke to his residence and inquired, "It has been over a month since Lei Ming and that fierce tiger took office, how is the situation over at the Fifth Regiment of the Fourth Division now?"
Du Yu said: "Since the old emperor fell seriously ill, the political situation in the Glorious Empire has been in turmoil. It seems that the political strife in the court has already affected the western provinces. Various signs indicate that there will be significant changes in that country within a few months. Now is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deploy troops."
What is this? A pig farm? Feeding pigs? Zhao Yue listened, completely bewildered, and asked in confusion, "What does this have to do with anything?"
Capital of Qingzhou, Mingyue Empire, Jining, Governor's Office
Zheng Ke's expression suddenly became serious as he replied in a low voice: "I have already investigated, but the findings are limited. I only know that he was saved by Lei Ming last winter, and then he stayed in the Lei Ming Brigade, starting as an ordinary soldier and rising to the position of squad leader within a year. Lei Ming had actually told me all this long ago, but I couldn't find out anything else."
What is an army? An army is a collective, a vast assembly composed of countless ordinary soldiers. For an army to be strong, it is essential to unify each soldier within this collective. Only by integrating them into a cohesive whole can synergy be achieved, making the army invincible.
Zhao Yue's brows suddenly furrowed, and he asked in a low voice, "What’s wrong? Is there a problem?"
In the evening, the new recruits who had gone up the mountain for hunting began to return one after another
Zhao Yue said: "Then let us start from the beginning"
"Long-distance running?" Zhao Yue exclaimed, "Is this what you practice every day?"
Du Yu remarked, "According to Zhao Yue's consistent style, since the Fourth Division has been reestablished, he would certainly draw a large number of veterans from the other three divisions to serve as the backbone of the Fourth Division, supplemented by a suitable number of new recruits. Only in this way can the Fourth Division quickly develop combat effectiveness, and the other three divisions would not be significantly affected. However, Zhao Yue's current actions are completely contrary to this; I truly do not understand what he is up to"
... ...
Zheng Keda: "Practice long-distance running"
As Meng Huzheng grew increasingly impatient, a disheveled and distressed new recruit suddenly rushed in front of him, panting heavily and said: "Sir... Sir, something terrible has happened..."
Meng Hu let out a low grunt and asked, "Take your time to speak; the sky isn't going to fall. What happened?"
The sharp sound of the whistle suddenly echoed throughout the parade ground. Upon hearing the whistle, the new recruits, who had just been chatting in small groups on the parade ground, jumped up as if they had been pricked by a needle on their behinds, and then, under the scolding of the various officers, began to form ranks in a chaotic manner.
Zheng Kewan comforted, "There is no need for you to worry, my lord. The young lady is highly skilled in martial arts, and she is accompanied by the Qingyi Guard for protection, so there will be no incidents."
What is Zhao Yue up to?" Situ Rui said coldly, "Isn't it obvious? The division commander of the Fourth Division is not Zhao Yue's person; he is uneasy about handing over the army to him
Naive," Zhao Yue said coldly, "Do you think a hunter in the mountains could raise such a disciple?
... ...
Zheng Ke exclaimed in astonishment: "Miss has gone out hunting, how is it that you, my lord, do not know?"
Hexi Fortress, the garrison of the 4th Division
After pondering for a moment, Zhao Yue shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Let's not worry about that for now. How is your investigation into his background coming along?"
"Very well, I shall start from the beginning," Zheng Ke nodded and said with a wry smile. "This Meng Hu indeed has some unconventional methods for training troops. The new recruits of the Fifth Brigade had barely been in the barracks for three days when he established a rule: they must fend for themselves for all three meals. Those who are capable can eat their fill, while those who are not must endure hunger."
Du Yu showed a look of shame and said in a low voice: "I am truly ashamed. I, as a subordinate, did not investigate all the details thoroughly. I only know that this person’s surname is Meng, his given name is Hu, and he is nicknamed 'Mighty Tiger.' He was originally a light infantry squad leader in the Third Division of the Western Corps of the Glorious Empire, and he has now been promoted to the light infantry regiment commander of the Fourth Division. Beyond that, I am not aware of any further details."
"It won't lead to loss of life," Zheng Ke said with a strange expression. "That guy Meng Hu has some underhanded tricks. If the soldiers in the camp really can't get enough to eat, they can go help in the kitchen or tend to the livestock on the ranch. They might barely manage to get a meal, but the standard is ridiculously low, basically comparable to pig feed.
Meng Hu practices the awareness of teamwork
There is indeed no problem said Zheng Ke with a wry smile and a shake of his head However, regarding some circumstances of the Fifth Brigade, I truly do not know where to begin
After finishing their physical training in the morning, the new recruits of the Fifth Brigade were sent by Meng Hu to hunt in the nearby Qingyun Mountain. Hunting is indeed a skillful task, especially in group hunting, which requires a strong sense of teamwork. If there is a lack of coordination among the members, it becomes very difficult to capture large game.
"Not at all," Zheng Ke shook his head and said, "Only a small number of people go to the ranch to graze or work as porters in the transport team. The majority of the soldiers are still able to secure food, so the training of the Fifth Regiment has never been interrupted, and it is even more rigorous than that of other regiments, though there has not been much focus on drill training"
As early as the beginning of the year, Situ Rui foresaw that the political situation in the Radiant Empire would inevitably experience turmoil, and he advised the Emperor of the Mingyue Empire to secretly mobilize troops in preparation for an eastern expedition. The Emperor of the Mingyue Empire approved Situ Rui's suggestion and planned to assemble approximately three legions to invade the Radiant Empire, with Situ Rui being appointed as the commander of the eastern expeditionary force
Countless bloody facts have proven a truth: the truly elite troops are forged in actual combat, not merely through training. Meng Hu is neither the governor of the western provinces nor the emperor of the empire; he lacks the authority to take the Fifth Brigade into real combat for training. Therefore, he can only create an atmosphere that closely resembles actual combat for training, and hunting, without a doubt, is relatively close to real combat.
The garrison of the Fourth Division is located at the Hexi Fortress. However, it is strange that there seems to be only one light infantry regiment stationed at the Hexi Fortress, and the majority are new recruits, while the other four regiments are completely unaccounted for
Fourth Division
Nonsense! Zhao Yue's expression had already turned quite unpleasant as he asked in a harsh tone, "So, are you saying that the Fifth Brigade hasn't had any serious training for over a month?"
"Yes," Zheng Kehan said with embarrassment, "I am foolish and dull."
"Assembly!" Without asking another word, Meng Hu shouted sternly, "All personnel assemble."
Situ Rui opened his eyes and then said with relief, "Indeed, Zhao Yue won the Battle of the Heavenly Wolf, and Ye Haotian should also make some gesture. However, I wonder where the Fourth Division is stationed"
What? Zhao Yue's brows furrowed even tighter, "What kind of nonsense rule is this? The food standards in the legion were never high to begin with. That little bit of rations is only enough to barely fill the soldiers' stomachs. With Meng Hu's approach, some people are well-fed, while others can only go hungry. Missing a meal or two is not a big deal, but over time, won't this lead to fatalities? Isn't this just reckless nonsense?"
In order to divert the attention of the Glorious Empire, Situ Rui ordered Situ Biao to lead the First Division in continuous harassment attacks against the Sirius Fortress, to cover the assembly of the armies from Binzhou, Yingzhou, Yunzhou, and the Imperial Guard towards Qingzhou. However, this ultimately cost Situ Biao his life, and the First Division was completely annihilated.
... ...
Hmm," Situ Rui said in a deep voice, "You make a very valid point. Let me share some good news with you: two divisions each from Bingzhou and Yingzhou, three divisions each from the Imperial Guard and Yunzhou, a total of ten divisions, have all arrived at the designated assembly point. Everything is ready; it is time for the eastern expedition!
Forget it. Zhao Yue suddenly sighed, waved his hand, and said, "You should set this matter aside for now. The urgent task is to deal with the Ye family. Just now, news came from the capital that His Majesty's condition has worsened. At this critical moment, we cannot afford any mistakes."
The new recruit took a deep breath and said urgently, "Our squad has been detained."
"Going out to hunt?" Zhao Yue's brows furrowed again into a '川' shape. With a bitter smile, he said, "This girl really doesn't make it easy for anyone."
"What are you saying?" Meng Hu's eyes widened in shock as he sternly asked, "Did someone from your team get detained? Who has the audacity to detain a member of the Fourth Division? Speak, what on earth is going on?"
"Yes," Zheng Ke said in a low voice, "I will find a way to meet with those individuals from the Third Division."
At this moment, hearing that the culprit behind the assassination of Situ Biao was at the Hexi Fortress, national grievances and personal hatred surged in his heart. Situ Rui slowly stood up and said to Du Yu, word by word: "Immediately send a swift horse to He Yuan, instructing Tuoba Tao to capture the Hexi Fortress within five days. Ten days later, I will present the head of Meng Hu in the Hexi Gorge to honor my second brother's spirit"
Hearing that the training of the Fifth Regiment had not been interrupted, Zhao Yue's expression improved slightly, and he asked, "Aren't they practicing formations? Then what are they training in?"
The capital of the Western Province of the Glorious Empire, Xiling City, Governor's Office
The armies of Middle-earth are also training their sense of teamwork, but they primarily accomplish this through drill training rather than through hunting, as Meng Hu does.
More than a month later
"Hmm, this matter must be resolved quickly; we absolutely cannot allow the Third Division to fall into the hands of the Ye family," Zhao Yue said, pausing for a moment before asking, "By the way, where is Qinghan?"
... ...
Zheng Ke whispered, "Perhaps it is true, as stated in the resume, that he is the son of a hunter from the nearby mountains"
"Just practice this." Zheng Keda said, "However, there have been some changes in recent days. Originally, I practiced long-distance running all day, but now I run in the morning and go hunting in the mountains in the afternoon"
The death of Situ Biao and the destruction of the First Division caused Situ Rui great anguish and deep regret, leaving him to lament his inability to change the outcome
Du Yu, the chief of staff of the Qingzhou Legion, entered the study of Situ Rui with a grave expression. Situ Rui, who was resting with his eyes closed, recognized the footsteps and asked with his eyes still shut, "Have the matters been clarified?"
Zhao Yue frowned and said, "I see..."