Chapter 70: The Only Choice is to Form a Firing Squad

The classroom was large, and thirty new students sat in their seats with their hands behind their backs. The door to the first class of the first term of the household servant school opened.

After three months of brutal training, the students had already formed a conditioned reflex. When the class leader, Ding Zixiong, shouted, "Stand up!" all the students stood up in unison! This was not a coincidence; it was the result of the past two months of close interaction and the collective punishment for one person's mistake, which had fostered a strong sense of teamwork.

In this place, the students had become largely numb to the whips and military sticks. The small black room was what everyone feared the most. If one person made a mistake, they would be locked in the small black room for a whole day. The other students had to stand in formation outside for a full day and night without food.

When everyone learned who had set these punishment rules, they secretly gave this person a nickname: "Yan Wang" (King of Hell)!

Now, this person walked into the classroom of Class 1 and stood on the platform. His gaze was as gentle as a spring breeze, but everyone became even more cautious, standing straighter and more rigid. Everyone knew that this person was "Yan Wang"!

"Sit down!" Chen Xie gently raised his hand, and the students sat down in unison. Apart from the sound of their movements, a pin could be heard dropping on the ground.

"Good. After three months of training, you finally look like soldiers. Yes, you heard me right, I said soldiers. Why? Because the responsibility on your shoulders requires you to become soldiers, the best soldiers in the world. I won't lecture you on grand principles. Everyone knows that every year, many refugees from Liaodong cross the sea to escape. Some of you are among them. Why did you leave your homes and come here? It's simple: the Ming army can't defeat the Jurchen Tartars. I hope everyone understands a simple truth: the life you and your family are living now needs to be protected. The reason is clear: the Ming army can't win battles.

If you want to live a good life for yourself and your family, you need to follow what I say. As long as you follow what I say, you will win battles, no matter who your opponent is, they will be trampled under your feet. That's all I have to say. Now, everyone stand up, form three columns, head north, and bring your equipment for a five-kilometer forced march."

Chen Xie stood on the platform, looking at the students with a serious expression. Today's class was very important, not just a literacy class. So Chen Xie had to be there in person!

The backpacks were at their feet, and everyone moved without any extra actions, skillfully putting on their backpacks and helmets. They left the room in an orderly manner, group by group. The first group went out and stood in a column at the door, followed by the second and third groups.

The three columns stood ready, and the students counted off. Then, the class leader, Ding Zixiong, ran to Chen Xie to report. These procedures, repeated for three months, were carried out flawlessly.

"Report, sir, Class 1 has 30 students, all present. Please give your instructions!" The lines were familiar; Chen Xie, who had undergone brief military training, only knew this. "March!" Chen Xie ordered expressionlessly, and Class 1 turned and marched in unison.

Don't even think about motor vehicles; in the Ming Dynasty, Chen Xie could only choose horses. Chen Xie's horsemanship was only average, much better than before, but just enough to ride without falling off.

Following the students, Chen Xie slowly rode his horse, inspecting the results of the past two months of training.

It should be said that Wang Qian and the others had carried out Chen Xie's training plan with great cruelty and determination. These students, who had started as complete novices, now possessed the basic qualities of soldiers. But it was still early.

A normal person would take about an hour to walk five kilometers. The students' speed for the forced march was not too fast, but compared to the Ming soldiers, it was very fast. In just three months, they had achieved a thirty-minute five-kilometer forced march. This achievement surprised Chen Xie, especially considering that their backpacks contained five kilograms of bricks. This clearly demonstrated that with sufficient food and the right training, Ming people could become qualified soldiers.

The destination was by the sea, where targets had already been set up on the beach. The novices sensed that something new was about to happen. The past two months of monotonous and repetitive training had been broken up by some entertainment activities organized by the instructors, such as tug-of-war and grenade throwing, with the winners enjoying a hearty meal. There was also a local theater troupe that had performed for them.

Finally, there was something new, and everyone was excited. They watched as "Yan Wang" dismounted and took a strange-looking musket from Wang Qian.

Holding the musket, Chen Xie walked to the students and loudly said, "Look closely. This is a musket, not the junky matchlock muskets used by the Ming army. This is a flintlock musket. The main components are: the barrel, the lock, the trigger..." Chen Xie's explanation was detailed, introducing each part clearly. He then assembled the musket in front of everyone.

The first lesson did not involve live ammunition; it was just to familiarize the students with the musket. After Chen Xie's explanation, each student received a musket and a bayonet. The bayonets were made by Ming craftsmen, with the only technical challenge being the slot, which had been solved in modern times. The Ming craftsmen were also required to replicate the bayonets, starting with the simplest parts, making one part at a time.

The muskets were greased, and according to Chen Xie's instructions, the first thing each student did was to clean the musket. In the sheds by the sea, there were cement platforms, with ten students per platform, starting to clean their muskets. After cleaning, each student received a manual. They were required to memorize it word for word, and in seven days, they would be tested. If one person failed, they would be locked in the small black room, and the entire class would stand in formation for a day without food.

For the Ming people, after eating the food provided by Chen Xie, going back to eating bran and vegetables was almost a death sentence. To ensure they had food, the students' motivation was unimaginable.

Seven days was not a long time, but it was not short either. After seven days, every student could recite the musket operation manual and disassemble their muskets proficiently. The entire class then went on another five-kilometer forced march to the beach. This time, they received a new piece of equipment: a leather box with a slot that could be attached to their belts.

Yan Wang demonstrated personally, loading the powder, the Minié ball, and the ramrod. After loading, he adopted a half-squat position, aimed at a fixed target fifty meters away, and pulled the trigger. Chen Xie believed that hitting the target at fifty meters was sufficient to qualify as good marksmanship. This was the era of the firing squad, and volley fire was the key. Expecting every shot to hit was a pipe dream; achieving a fifty percent hit rate with a volley was a good result.

Ten days later! At the beach shooting range.

Bang, bang, bang, bang...! The gunshots were in unison, and the acrid smell of gunpowder had not yet dissipated. Ding Zixiong mechanically ordered the students to retreat, and another row of students took their place. The retreating students, who were a bit clumsy in reloading, were participating in their first live-fire exercise. At the beginning, there were many mishaps, with a few soldiers even firing the ramrod. They were pulled aside, made to take off their pants, and given ten lashes with a military stick! By the end of the day, out of 120 students, 44 had received the lash. Fortunately, no one was locked in the small black room.

Chen Xie quietly watched the training from the side. The three-volley system was not new in the Ming Dynasty. According to some historians, the Ming's firearms were already quite advanced, but they lost to the Jurchens not because of technology but because of institutional issues. Severe corruption led to a significant decline in the quality of military production, making it better to use cold weapons than inferior firearms.

Chen Xie was skeptical of this conclusion.

After reviewing a large amount of modern research, Chen Xie abandoned the three-volley system in favor of the two-volley system used by modern armies. The advantage was reduced confusion during the reloading process, but the disadvantage was a lack of continuous firepower. The excellent performance and unique design of the Minié rifle compensated for this flaw. After repeated experiments, Chen Xie found little difference.

Another important factor was that modern armies used the two-volley system because they all had smoothbore muskets with a very limited effective range. In the era of the firing squad, lobster soldiers would almost walk up to their opponents and fire point-blank, followed by a bayonet charge, out of necessity. In other words, with a smoothbore musket, hitting your target beyond thirty meters was a matter of divine intervention.

Chen Xie's rifles were rifled, and at two hundred meters, they could definitely penetrate leather armor. Within one hundred meters, no armor in the world could stop these bullets.

Considering all these factors, these soldiers, wearing bulletproof vests (with thin steel plates in the pockets), could calmly open fire at 200 meters and use continuous firepower to crush any opponent. This didn't even include artillery!

What would be the result of a modern army equipped with a large number of artillery pieces and rifled muskets facing an army primarily armed with cold weapons? Chen Xie found a classic example in history. This battle took place in China in 1860, with 30,000 Qing troops facing 8,000 Anglo-French troops.

The result of this battle was that the British had 2 deaths (one British and one Indian) and 29 wounded (11 British and 18 Indian). The French had 3 deaths and 18 wounded. According to French records, the Qing army had over 1,000 casualties.

It's worth noting that the Qing army at the time and the current Jurchen Tartars had no comparable fighting spirit.

Seeing his non-commissioned officers, though a bit clumsy, already able to fire continuously without too much confusion, Chen Xie smiled and turned to leave. He had other matters to attend to.

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End of Chapter 70