Chapter 9

(There will be two updates tonight, thank you to the friend Qiu Feng for the tip, and thank you all for your support in adding to your collection and recommending!)

Here is the first update, the second will be around 10 PM!

---

It was noon.

In the main tent of the Longxiang Camp.

After returning from the central command tent, Li Li convened a meeting with all the officers of the camp who were of the rank of troop leader and above.

In the Longxiang Camp, five soldiers formed a squad, with one squad leader; two squads formed a platoon, with one platoon leader; five platoons formed a small team, with one team leader and one deputy team leader; two small teams formed a company, with one company commander and one deputy company commander, the company commander being a centurion; two companies formed a battalion, with one battalion commander and one deputy battalion commander.

Two battalions formed a regiment, and two regiments formed a division, hence the term "division regiment."

A division regiment usually consisted of about 800 to 1,000 men, plus a scout team and a bodyguard team, and additional logistics and support personnel, making a complete camp of about 1,500 to 2,000 men.

However, the number of men in a camp varied, with no fixed quota.

In fact, in the early Eastern Han Dynasty, the court had strict control over the number of troops, with each camp having a fixed quota.

However, after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the court openly allowed local officials and powerful families to recruit soldiers, leading to a chaotic situation where a camp could have as many as 3,000 to 5,000 men or as few as 500 to 800 men.

The Longxiang Camp had a full complement of 3,000 cavalry, not including 300 scouts, 200 bodyguards, over 300 logistics and support personnel, and some officers' servants.

In total, the Longxiang Camp had over 4,000 men, all of whom were mounted soldiers.

The Longxiang Camp held a pivotal position in Li Jue's 30,000-strong army, being regarded as the most elite and combat-effective iron cavalry.

In the past, the Longxiang Camp had gained fame in the Battle of Hulao Pass.

One-third of the mid-to-low-ranking officers in the camp were from the Li family, including Li Jue's collateral relatives and household troops.

Although Li Jue, the head of the family, was nominally just a colonel, he was highly favored by Dong Zhuo and relied upon as a trusted and capable general.

His status in Dong Zhuo's army was not much different from that of the Tiger Guard Colonel, Lü Bu.

However, the five major colonels in Dong Zhuo's army were all his relatives or household troops.

Lü Bu was his adopted son, Niu Fu was his son-in-law, Dong Yue was his cousin, and Hu Zhen and Xu Rong were early guests at Dong Zhuo's mansion, now serving as household troops.

For nearly four centuries since the founding of the Han Dynasty, nepotism had been a common phenomenon.

This was a widely recognized fact and an indisputable truth.

The same was true in previous dynasties before the Han.

This was an age-old tradition that people were well aware of and no longer found strange.

As a colonel who grew up in a peaceful era, Li Li had become extremely skilled at reading people.

Otherwise, no matter how capable he was, he would remain a common soldier; without the ability to read people, promotion would be nothing but a pipe dream.

A moment later, the main tent was filled with people.

"Everyone, from today on, the Longxiang Camp will be under my full command. I believe you have all been informed of this.

With the approval of my uncle, Li Fu has been promoted to left commandant, and Li Xian to the commander of the bodyguard battalion, which is the bodyguard battalion leader.

The first centurion has been promoted to right commandant, the second and third centurions have been promoted in sequence, and the deputy commander of the first thousand-man team has been promoted to the third centurion. All other officers below the rank of centurion will be promoted accordingly.

Do any of you have objections?"

After all the mid-to-low-ranking officers had gathered, Li Li sat in the main seat and directly announced the changes in their ranks.

"Yes, we will follow the general's orders!"

The many low-ranking officers gathered in the hall, bowed, and accepted the orders.

The Longxiang Camp, nominally under Dong Zhuo's command, was actually a private army of the Li family.

The entire camp was originally Li Jue's division, now transferred to the name of the Li family's eldest son, Li Li, which was a natural and expected move.

However, Li Li knew that the Longxiang Camp still followed the orders of his uncle Li Jue, and he needed to do much more to fully control the camp.

At the very least, he needed to promote a batch of loyal subordinates, then politely send away some wavering officers, and enforce strict military discipline and thorough reforms.

Only then could he transform the Longxiang Camp and turn it into his own loyal division, ready to follow his commands.

"Good! Since everyone has no objections, you can act according to the orders.

I have just received orders that our camp will set out with the main army at dawn tomorrow to attack Zhu Jun. Everyone, prepare accordingly. Ensure that the horses, weapons, and necessary supplies are ready, and do not delay the military operations!"

"Yes, we will follow the orders!" the officers responded in unison.

---

The next day, the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Cold winds blew across the land, bringing a chill.

Dewdrops on the green leaves swayed in the breeze, silently dripping into the soil, nourishing the plant roots.

Outside the southern gate of Zhongmu County.

The city gates were wide open, and thousands of Xiliang cavalry galloped out.

Following them, over ten thousand infantry marched out of the city in neat formation, and dozens of supply wagons slowly followed, with three thousand infantry surrounding the wagons.

Previously, almost all of Henan was under the control of the rebel forces led by Zhu Jun.

A month ago, Li Jue led a large army to defeat Zhu Jun's forces in several battles, forcing them to retreat to the vicinity of Zhongmu County.

After the last major battle, Zhu Jun led his remaining forces to the city of Xinzheng, about a hundred miles to the south, to regroup and prepare for another battle.

It had to be admitted that the renowned general Zhu Jun was extremely resilient, fighting repeatedly despite repeated defeats, showing a strong will to fight.

If another commander had suffered such a defeat, they would likely have fled with their remaining forces and dared not fight again.

Moreover, it was noteworthy that although the number of Zhu Jun's troops had decreased, their combat effectiveness had increased.

In the last major battle, the 20,000-strong army he led had already shown the雏形 of elite troops, with strong combat capabilities. This time, they were likely even more formidable, having become a highly elite force.

Through battle, the weak were eliminated and the strong remained, and this is how elite troops were forged through repeated battles.

This showed that the renowned general Zhu Jun was not just a name, but had unique skills in both strategy and training.

"Brother, why haven't I seen you these past few days? We've been friends since childhood, and you didn't even visit me when I was critically injured?"

In the rear of the army, Li Li found his brother Li Xian and the infantry colonel Fan Yong, who was in charge of the supply wagons, and confronted him.

Li Li, Fan Yong, and Li Xian were childhood friends.

A few years ago, when they were still in diapers, they had formed a brotherhood, with Li Li, who was a month older than Fan Yong, as the eldest brother, Fan Yong as the second, and Li Xian as the youngest.

Fan Yong was the darkest, tallest, and most muscular of the three, like a big black bear.

On the surface, he looked strong and rugged, like a rough and tough man, but in reality, he was meticulous and exceptionally brave, responsible for overseeing the army's supplies and weapons, and highly trusted.

"Brother, I... was too busy to visit you. I know I was wrong, and I'm willing to accept any punishment you see fit!"

Initially, Fan Yong was delighted to see Li Li and Li Xian, but now his face turned red, and he avoided Li Li's eyes.

Li Xian, who had rushed to the rear with his brother, thought Li Li was going to catch up with old times, but instead, he was here to confront Fan Yong, so he quickly explained the situation.

"Brother, you misunderstood Second Brother! When you were unconscious, Second Brother and I stayed by your bedside for two days and two nights without eating. Later, when he saw your condition worsening, he couldn't bear to see you...

So he took his troops out of the city to avenge you, challenging Zhu Jun's forces for two days at Xinzheng, but Zhu Jun refused to engage. Then Uncle Guo Xi forcibly brought Second Brother back and ordered him not to leave the camp.

That's why you didn't see him after you regained consciousness.

Brother, it's not Second Brother's fault. He was eager to avenge you, broke the military rules, and was confined, unable to come and see you!"

As Li Xian spoke, Fan Yong turned his head and quietly rubbed his eyes.

Then he turned and said, "Brother, if I had been by your side during the last battle, I would never have let you suffer such a great danger, nearly losing your life. It was my fault for not protecting you well, and I wasn't there to fight alongside you when you were in danger.

Afterward, I led troops to avenge you, but I failed. Brother, I am incompetent, and I have no face to see you."

Hearing Li Xian and Fan Yong, Li Li was deeply moved, his eyes moistening, and he tightly patted Fan Yong's broad and solid shoulder, unable to speak for a moment.