Chapter 007: Elite Troops and Strong Generals

Old General, I know you are my senior. If you do not mind, I hope you can conduct a comprehensive training session for these three thousand men. Let us maintain the current organization of our three thousand cavalry for now, as I am uncertain how to reorganize them at this moment. A poorly executed reorganization may disrupt the morale of the troops. Now that we have entered Liaodong, we may soon have to engage in battle with the Goguryeo people. I have heard of your esteemed reputation since my childhood, and I wish to entrust the training to you. Taking advantage of the remaining time, please focus on training their cavalry formations, weapon combat, close-quarters skills, and field maneuvers. In the training ground, set up wooden stakes for them to chop down immediately, aiming to enhance the soldiers' strength and endurance. Sweating more now will lead to shedding less blood in the future. Li Chenxin shared some of the cavalry knowledge he possessed.

Kill! Kill!! Kill!!!

When a personal guard of His Majesty the Emperor arrived at the camp with dozens of soldiers from the supply unit to deliver the Emperor's rewards, all three thousand cavalrymen erupted in excitement

Ladies and gentlemen, although the training in my camp is more arduous than in other camps, we have meat and wine every day, which makes countless other soldiers envious and jealous. There are even rumors outside that we are merely the ceremonial guard raised by His Majesty, all show and no substance, merely for appearances and unfit for the battlefield. Can you accept such statements?

Li Benlei looked at the joyful cavalrymen before him and said: "Each of these is a fine son of the Han family. If we were to head into battle like this, who knows how many will remain here, and how many will return home." As he gazed at the happy soldiers, the old general couldn't help but recall his own subordinates. During the last campaign against Goguryeo, he was a commander of an army, leading four thousand cavalry and eight thousand infantry, totaling over ten thousand men. Yet, in the end, fewer than two hundred managed to cross the Liao River. Even his three sons and two grandsons, who had just come of age, all perished in Liaodong. The old general couldn't help but remember his subordinates again. During the last campaign against Goguryeo, he was a commander of an army, leading four thousand cavalry and eight thousand infantry, totaling over ten thousand men. Yet, in the end, fewer than two hundred managed to cross the Liao River. Even his three sons and two grandsons, who had just come of age, all perished in Liaodong.

It seems that the general is indeed a knowledgeable military strategist, far superior to me. The general has some methods that I have never heard of, but upon hearing them, I can tell they are indeed effective. The training of cavalry emphasizes not only physical strength and endurance but also the importance of formation and coordination. The method the general arranged for chopping wooden stakes is quite good; chopping stakes during a charge is truly an excellent idea

Speak louder

Cannot

Upon hearing this, Chen Kefu's eyes sparkled with brilliance. By this era, cavalry had already been equipped with saddles and stirrups, so with the addition of bows and crossbows, cavalry could not only launch close-range assaults on enemy formations but also engage in long-range attacks using bows and crossbows

Looking at the excited officers before him, Chen Kefu was convinced that the imminent first battle of the Pojun Camp would be remarkable, and he aimed to make the reputation of the Pojun Camp known throughout the three armies

The next day, Chen Kefu, in stark contrast to his previous gentle demeanor towards everyone, ordered the entire camp to temporarily refrain from reorganizing the troops according to military regulations. The camp continued to be commanded under the system of the provincial soldiers. However, considering that many of the officers were newly appointed, Li Chenxin completely reorganized all officers above the brigade level. On the surface, this was done to enhance combat effectiveness, but in reality, Chen Kefu's actions were merely aimed at better consolidating his control over the military power of these three thousand men, preventing his subordinates from undermining him. As the world seemed on the brink of chaos, although Chen Kefu was uncertain about his next steps, he understood that holding military power was the greatest assurance for survival in such turbulent times.

The great battle is imminent, yet our three thousand troops have all been allocated from elsewhere. If we cannot quickly form combat effectiveness, we will find ourselves in trouble in the upcoming conflict said Chen Kefu with a sigh

For them, following any general would be about the same. However, now that they have been assigned to the newly established "Breaking Army" camp, they are receiving such favorable treatment. Not only do they have beef and mutton to eat, but there are also hundreds of jars of fine wine. This inevitably makes the cavalrymen feel that perhaps following this young general is indeed a good choice. At the very least, while others are gnawing on dry rations, they are enjoying good wine and meat. Moreover, this general is a fierce warrior, and under such a leader, they can expect more security in battle and even more opportunities to earn military merits and receive rewards. This inevitably makes the cavalrymen feel that perhaps following this young general is indeed a good choice. At the very least, while others are gnawing on dry rations, they are enjoying good wine and meat. Moreover, this general is a fierce warrior, and under such a leader, they can expect more security in battle and even more opportunities to earn military merits and receive rewards.

Good, this is the kind of valiant men from my Broken Army Camp. We have trained our soldiers for a thousand days, and now it is time to employ them. To prove that I and the three thousand young men of the library are not mere drunks and gluttons, I have requested a military order from His Majesty, and we shall march into battle immediately. The outcome of right and wrong, success and failure, hinges on this one action. I hope everyone can unite with determination. Wherever my army points its spear, we shall charge forward with courage. This time, we must establish the reputation of the Broken Army Camp before the three armies. I want everyone to know that the fame of the Broken Army Camp is earned through bloodshed, not through indulgence. This time, we must establish the reputation of the Broken Army Camp before the three armies. I want everyone to know that the fame of the Broken Army Camp is earned through bloodshed, not through indulgence. Kill!

The first thing Old Master Chen did upon taking office was to implement training—intensive training. Every day, they practiced cavalry formations, weapon combat, close-quarters combat, field assaults, chopping wooden stakes from horseback, archery from horseback, and various other activities. By the end of each day, everyone was utterly exhausted. However, at this time, Chen Kefu would always appear in a friendly manner and announce that there would be generous portions of beef and lamb for dinner. As a result, although the training was exhausting, everyone felt it was worth it for the promise of meat.

In the Pojun Camp, the bright lights illuminated the hall where all the senior officers were gathered, arranged in order along both sides according to their ranks and positions.

Li Benlei sat next to Chen Kefu, drinking heartily while asking, "How does the general plan to organize these three thousand cavalry? According to the marching method, they should be divided into teams of one hundred, making thirty teams of three thousand. But what about these officers?"

Rest assured, most of my Sui cavalry can draw a bow and shoot arrows. Moreover, sometimes they do not need to possess exceptional archery skills; a well-timed shot from below can yield the same effect. Upon hearing that Chen Kefu could procure bows and crossbows, Li Benlei was very pleased. He now aimed to train the three thousand cavalrymen at his disposal to kill more Goguryeo people and avenge the hundreds of thousands of brave souls who perished in Liaodong.

Cannot ! ''

"This matter can be entrusted to me, I will go find General Yuwen, and perhaps I can bring him back. I am just concerned that the time is too short, and without training, they may not be able to become effective combatants"

Li Benlei waved his hand and said, "There is no need for the general to say such things in the future. I am currently just a cavalry lieutenant, so if the general has any orders, please feel free to give them. I will not decline. I will train these three thousand young men according to the methods you have outlined. As long as I am given some time, I am confident that I can train them into the best cavalry in the army. Unfortunately, I observe that although these three thousand cavalrymen are equipped with bright light armor, long spears, and curved sabers, if they could also be provided with a batch of small round shields, along with a crossbow and a bow, their combat effectiveness would be significantly enhanced."

At the end of the day's training, the cavalrymen traditionally lit a bonfire in the camp, joyfully sharing beef and mutton, a privilege that even the imperial guards could not enjoy. However, under the leadership of Lord Chen Kefu, they were able to indulge in generous portions of beef and mutton every day, and the top ten soldiers from each training session would also receive two taels of fine wine. Such treatment left many allied troops envious, and numerous soldiers from the broken army camp had friends from their hometown inquiring whether they could be transferred to the broken army camp.

A group of officers also emerged from the tents, drinking deeply from the imperial wine and feasting on roasted golden beef and lamb.

Chen Benlei looked with some surprise at the young general in front of the bonfire, who was able to articulate so many cavalry training methods in one breath, which was quite rare. In this era, most soldiers were illiterate brutes; even among the sons of noble families, very few truly understood military strategy and formations. The old man had spent his life in military service, and although the training methods he had gleaned from his experiences in battle were not inferior to those articulated by Chen Kefu, they were neither as comprehensive nor as clear.

Chen Kefu took a large sip of wine and said, "Actually, I used to enjoy listening to historical tales, and my favorite is still the story of the Three Kingdoms. What I mentioned are merely clichés; to truly train these cavalry, it requires someone like you, an experienced general, to take charge. You are my senior, and your past position was even higher than mine, but at the moment, I cannot find many suitable individuals, so I have no choice but to ask the old general to step in. " What Chen Kefu referred to as the Three Kingdoms is actually the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Although there are many who recite the stories of the Three Kingdoms in this era, they are merely various adaptations and tales, which fall far short compared to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Chen Kefu not only reassigned the senior officers of each brigade but also ordered Li Benlei to temporarily serve as his deputy. However, this was a private appointment and not recognized by the court. Nevertheless, in this context, he had the final say; if he designated someone as deputy, others had to accept his orders. The old gentleman had previously held the position of commander of a large army, so there were no objections to this. He also reassigned Luo Lin's team as his personal guards, with Luo Lin serving as the captain of the personal guard, which could be seen as Chen Kefu's way of taking care of him. The old gentleman had previously held the position of commander of a large army, so there were no objections to this. He also reassigned Luo Lin's team as his personal guards, with Luo Lin serving as the captain of the personal guard, which could be seen as Chen Kefu's way of taking care of him