Chapter 82: Details Required "**"

A sharp whistle broke the deathly silence of the early morning, and soldiers rushed out of the barracks, gathering on the parade ground. Chen Xie, standing there, watched the soldiers assembling with a grim expression. These people were the capital for his future endeavors. Although there were only 120 of them, including Wang Qian and his group, the total was 131. With this solid foundation, it wouldn't be difficult to train more troops.

In just 8 minutes, four formations were assembled, roughly equivalent to a company in a modern army.

Using a company as the unit, forming square formations, firing volleys, and adding artillery—this was the basic tactic Chen Xie had designed for this army. Wang Qian also suggested some other ideas, such as wagon forts. This issue could be solved with four-wheeled carts. Half-height carts, combined with adjustable wooden boards, could form a breastwork at any time, providing protection against sudden cavalry attacks in the field.

"Master, you're back from the sea?" Wang Qian's face was full of surprise, but Chen Xie kicked him to the ground, pointing at him and scolding, "What does the drill manual say? Night sentries should have a password. You treat it like a decoration? In the military, you call superiors 'officer,' not 'master.' Military judge!"

Old Kong, who always had a stern face, walked over. He was one of Wang Qian's ten brothers. Chen Xie had never inquired about their detailed backgrounds, waiting for them to speak up on their own.

"Here! What are your orders, officer?" Old Kong saluted with a hand to his chest, standing at attention.

"What should be done according to military regulations for what I just said?" Chen Xie asked expressionlessly. Old Kong replied without hesitation, "Ten lashes! Wang Officer violated two rules, so he should receive twenty lashes."

"Carry it out!" Chen Xie's face was cold as ice, standing still. Many soldiers were tense, swallowing hard.

Two military police officers stepped forward. Old Kong's jaw twitched, and he coldly ordered, "Carry it out!"

Wang Qian was lifted and laid on a bench, a wooden stick stuffed in his mouth. His white buttocks were exposed, and the sound of the military stick hitting him was crisp and terrifying. In the cold morning, this scene was quite shocking. As the highest-ranking officer under Chen Xie, Wang Qian still received a beating for his mistake, which had a strong deterrent effect on the others.

After twenty lashes, his skin was torn and bleeding. The waiting medic, Yu Lian, immediately disinfected, applied medicine, and bandaged him. After dressing, Wang Qian limped back, sweating profusely in the early winter morning.

"I beat you because you violated military regulations. I hope you take this as a lesson. If you do it again, I will demote you."

Wang Qian stood at attention and answered loudly, "Understood, officer!"

Chen Xie nodded in satisfaction and said, "The emergency assembly took only eight minutes, and everyone did very well. This is your achievement. Mistakes must be punished, and merits must be rewarded. Wang Qian, a reward of 100 taels of silver! The other instructors, 50 taels each."

After the rewards and punishments, Chen Xie announced the dismissal and had Wang Qian and the other officers follow him into the militia commander's office. He took out a tin of cigarettes, gave each one a cigarette, and then said, "You've done a good job, and I'm very satisfied. Now, this small team is clear to everyone. For now, it's organized by squads, with four squads forming a platoon. This will be the foundation of the Zhangjia Village Militia. Considering the significant differences in equipment compared to the Ming army, I don't plan to use the Ming military system. In three days, we will officially expand the army, recruiting the second batch of militia cadets and forming a brigade. The brigade will have four infantry battalions, one artillery battalion, one reconnaissance team, and one logistics battalion. Each infantry battalion will have four infantry squads, similar to the squads you just saw."

Everyone was excited. Everyone knew Chen Xie was the militia commander. After seeing the equipment Chen Xie brought and training for so long, these veterans understood the power of an army equipped with such muskets. Even the Qing Tartars couldn't withstand a few rounds of volleys.

"Everyone, look at this." Chen Xie took out a small notebook and threw it on the table. Wang Qian grabbed it and read it carefully. The smallest unit was the squad, with 12 people (10 soldiers, 1 squad leader, 1 deputy squad leader). Above the squad was the platoon, with three squads (1 platoon leader, 2 deputy platoon leaders). Above the platoon was the company, with four platoons (equivalent to four squads now) and one cook squad. Above the company was the battalion and brigade, each with a headquarters and various auxiliary units.

In summary, this was a vague structure, a creation of Chen Xie's, who had thought of everything he could. His concept was simple: the company as the basic combat unit. When encountering the enemy, each company would form two square formations, with two lines of soldiers firing in turns. The specific battle formations still needed to be explored and refined through strict training.

In short, Chen Xie's model was laid out for everyone. Based on this model, they would develop and improve. How to coordinate between infantry and artillery, how to quickly form battle formations during marches—these were things Chen Xie could only provide a concept for, and the execution would be up to Wang Qian and the others.

"I've given you the materials. Study them carefully. We will solve one problem at a time. This is a new army, and the Ming system doesn't fit us. Remember, I want to build an iron army, not a weak one like the Guan Ning army, which dares not engage the Tartars in open battle."

Chen Xie's words hit everyone hard. Initially, these veterans didn't take Chen Xie's training methods seriously. But as time passed and with the use of new equipment, they realized something was different. Now, every cadet from the military academy followed orders resolutely, ready to move forward even if it meant walking into the sea. They had the makings of a strong army, just lacking some combat experience.

If one had to find a difference between Chen Xie's training methods and those of other strong armies, Wang Qian and the others studied for a long time and concluded it was the "details"!

Why? Chen Xie required everyone to be literate and able to express themselves clearly in simple language. They also had to learn and use Arabic numerals. But this was just the basic detail. In the military, there were many detailed requirements, from how to eat, walk, fold blankets, and place cups, all with specific rules and strict enforcement. Any mistake would result in punishment, such as running laps, at least five. This showed the level of detail.

After the brief meeting, Chen Xie rode back to Zhangjia Village. Wang Qian, worried, sent two soldiers to follow. After seeing Chen Xie off, Wang Qian, holding the reins, said, "Master, the reconnaissance team is easy; we're all experienced in that. The hard part is the artillery battalion. No one here has experience with artillery. You need to find a professional artillery officer."

Chen Xie swayed on his horse, silently blaming himself for forgetting such an important matter. But artillery required specialized talent. Where could he find such people? He would have to ask Zhang Yao. But how would Zhang Yao react to knowing he had artillery? This was something for the regular army, not a militia.

"Understood. Send some people to the dock to guard the cargo. Mr. Liu will send someone to meet you for lunch."

Chen Xie returned to Zhangjia Village, changed to a carriage, and set off for Dengzhou with a few guards and his attendant, Changsheng.

The current militia didn't lack horses, and they didn't even need to spend money. Agents would provide horses to gain more shares. Wang Qian and his men, experienced in reconnaissance, were all skilled riders. But artillery was a different story. Chen Xie himself was also clueless and needed to find someone else.

The sound of the carriage wheels startled the soldiers at the Dengzhou city gate, who glared and waved their guns, driving away the civilians to clear the way.

The carriage of the divine doctor had a white circle with a red cross, easily recognizable. The carriage slowed down at the city gate and passed through slowly. Changsheng, sitting in the front, threw a handful of silver coins, shouting arrogantly, "Take it and drink!"

"Thank you, Master Doctor!" The squad leader at the gate smiled and bowed, watching the carriage disappear. He looked at the silver coins, weighed them, and said to his men, "See that? The Master Doctor gave us one tael of silver." Actually, it was two taels. One tael was shared among the men, and the rest was turned in.

Every time Chen Xie entered the city, he would tip the gate guards, usually one or two taels. This had become a routine, and everyone looked forward to his carriage appearing during their shift.

First, he went to the joint merchant house, met Mr. Liu, and arranged for people to pick up the cargo at the temporary dock. After that, he headed to Zhang Yao's house. Just as he left the merchant house, he was called by a panting Mr. Yu.

"Doctor, Doctor, quickly, quickly! Back to Huichun Hall!"

Chen Xie jumped off the carriage, grabbed his medical bag, and ran quickly to Huichun Hall. When he arrived, he saw a group of Ming soldiers, all in poor condition, sitting on the ground. They all stood up when they saw Chen Xie, shouting, "The doctor is here, we're saved."

Inside Huichun Hall, a helper approached, "Doctor, the injured are in the back courtyard." Chen Xie nodded and hurried inside. In the back courtyard, he was stunned to see over a dozen injured Ming soldiers lying under the eaves.

Liu Gaoming came out of a room, excited to see Chen Xie, "Doctor, you're finally back. A musket ball hit the stomach, and the lead bullet is inside. I can't do anything without you."

"These are all external injuries. Prepare for surgery." Chen Xie rushed into the temporary operating room without a word. Inside, a soldier lay on the table, his stomach bandaged but still bleeding. The soldier seemed to have energy and was still cursing.

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(End of Chapter 82)