"Report to the general, in fact, being able to hold on until that day was all thanks to the sacrifice and bravery of the soldiers. I really had no contribution at all." Xu Haifeng decided to advance with retreat, rather than not wanting rewards, he didnt want to continue this topic. In fact, since he got shot by an arrow, he had been hiding behind the wall until the reinforcements arrived, and hadnt even gone up on the city walls. Moreover, he had specially arranged for ten people to protect him, if this fact were to be known, it would definitely cause a more sensational effect than before.
The old man looked at him carefully for a long time, until his forehead was covered with fine sweat, and then he laughed loudly: "Young people, being neither arrogant nor impatient is good, but you dont have to be overly humble. You should know that youth is also a wealth, and taking the initiative is what you should do."
Xu Haifeng secretly let out a sigh of relief, he heard that Gu Dao had already expressed his intention not to pursue the matter further, and quickly took over the conversation: "Yes, I have learned my lesson, from now on I will follow Generals teachings and not dare to make any mistakes."
An old man with a long white beard has had countless experiences in his life, and he easily lets go of this topic. There must be some profound reason in his heart, and he is not worried that the sea breeze will not rise to the bait.
"Xu Haifeng, your merits have also been reported to the imperial court. His Majesty has learned of them and specially issued an edict to reward you with 10,000 taels of white silver. As for official positions..."
Xu Haifengs heart was suddenly stirred up. To say that he didnt want to get promoted and rich would be self-deception. The 10,000 taels of silver were a huge fortune that he had never dared to think about before. Listening to Gu Daoxiongs tone, it seemed that his official career also had great prospects. His heart suddenly became hot with excitement.
Seeing Xu Haifengs delighted expression, Gu Daoxu couldnt grasp what kind of person he was. If it was said that he wasnt greedy for wealth and fame, then his current behavior was clearly that of a man who craved fame and fortune. But when he previously spoke of his achievements, he showed a selfless and unassuming attitude, without any exaggeration or false claims to merit. Such vastly different contradictory behaviors left him perplexed.
However, since he had already made up his mind, there was no turning back now. He turned to Xu Haifeng and said: "The 5th Regiment of the Western Camp had over 5,000 men in the last battle, but only 124 survived. According to convention, it should be disbanded. However, the 5th Regiment showed unparalleled bravery and courage on the battlefield, earning a reputation that surpassed all others. To commend and encourage them, we have decided to reorganize the 5th Regiment and grant it a special number as the Black Flag Army, with you temporarily taking up the post of Commander of the 5th Regiment."
Xu Haifeng was stunned, for a moment he didnt dare to believe his ears. The direction of the Ming beside him saw the situation and hurriedly poked him, whispering: "Dont you thank him?"
Xu Haifeng suddenly woke up like a dream, took a step forward and knelt down on both knees: "Thank you, General, for your kindness. The generals kindness is forever remembered in my heart, never to be forgotten."
The military organization of the Great Han Empire is basically divided into squads of ten people, companies of a hundred people, and battalions of a thousand people. The leaders of these units, whether they are deputy or regular officers, are all mid-to-low-level officers. Units with more than a thousand people are called legions, each with a different number of people, ranging from three thousand to ten thousand. The commander of a legion must be at least a lieutenant general, and although a lieutenant general is the lowest rank among generals, it is still a step into the ranks of generals. Every soldiers greatest dream is to become a general one day, but those who can achieve this dream are one in a million. Many heroes and talents stop at the level of battalion commander, and without background or recognition from high-ranking officials, even the most capable individuals can only be battalion commanders for their entire lives. It can be said that once you pass this threshold, your future is bright and promising.
Half a year ago, Xu Haifeng was just a farmer facing the yellow earth and with his back to the sky. Two months ago, he was just a small new recruit who had just come out of training camp. But today, after crossing over, he will take a step into the ranks of generals. Although Gu Dao said its only temporarily taking over as commander, as long as he has real power in his grasp, making achievements and becoming a regular commander is only a matter of time.
Neither Xu Haifeng nor Fangxiang Mingsheng had expected that Gu Dao would be so bold as to appoint a person with only half a year of military service as a deputy general. They had thought that being promoted to a regular post as a commander of a thousand men was the limit, but now the situation was like jumping through the dragon gate, leaving people unable to adapt for a while, which is why Xu Haifeng lost his composure.
However, the ugly words were spoken earlier. Currently, the troops are tight, and the Fifth Regiment can only be formed with three thousand people for the time being. Moreover, I can only give you two thousand new soldiers, five hundred re-enlisted soldiers, and the other five hundred people you need to go to the slave camp to select." Gu Dao didnt expect him to behave otherwise, if he himself had gone through this, he might not have been better than Xu Haifeng.
"Yes, young master... This humble official obeys." Seeing the direction of Ming nodding slightly at him, he immediately reacted and hastily changed his words.
"Hmm, in your opinion, how long will it take for the Fifth Column to become a fighting force?" Gu Dao Xiong continued to ask.
Xu Haifeng furrowed his brow, this question was not easy to answer. The standards for forming combat effectiveness were vastly different, elite troops and local troops both had combat effectiveness, but they were absolutely not on the same level. And a group of new recruits and some demobilized soldiers combined with slave soldiers wanting to form combat effectiveness was even more difficult, if it was ordinary people training, at least half a year or even longer would be needed. But since General Gu asked directly, it was obviously a test, if he couldnt reach the standard in his mind, this acting commander might really have to continue acting.
"Its enough for three months." Xu Haifeng deliberated for a moment before finally making his decision.
"Alright, young man, your courage is commendable. Ill give you three months time. If by then you can bring out a team as strong as a hundred-refined golden steel, Ill formally recommend you to take the position of Deputy General. But if by then your team is not even worth mentioning, then go and be a Hundred-Man Commander." Gu Dao said with his hands behind his back, his tone decisive.
"Yes sir, General. I have one more request."
The old way is to cultivate the mind and rectify the way, the play has arrived, and it can be grasped within this period of time to form combat effectiveness, there must be a unique art of training soldiers, and then look at what conditions he proposes, so he asks peacefully: "What are your requirements, just mention them."
"I request that all troops be replaced with slave soldiers and that no one interfere during my training period."
"What? All of them are to be replaced with slave soldiers? Are you sure?" Gu Dao Yan was really strange this time, if he wanted to keep the secret method and efficiency of training troops, then the second point that no one is allowed to interfere could still be acceptable, but the first point that all use slave soldiers, its simply crazy behavior.
The reserve forces of the army are roughly divided into three types, with the most valuable being those who have been wounded in a previous battle but not mortally so and will not be left with any disability after treatment, they can return to the battlefield immediately after recovery. Such soldiers do not need training and can directly integrate into most armies.
Secondly, new recruits who have only been in the recruit camp for a few months and have not experienced the battlefield are far inferior to demobilized soldiers in combat effectiveness.
The last one is the slave soldier who has no freedom in life. The source of slave soldiers is very wide, and most of them are captured from various places. There are also death row inmates within the empire who enter the slave soldier camp, which means that one foot has already stepped into the ghost gate. Slave soldiers on the battlefield are simply synonymous with cannon fodder. Therefore, their morale is the worst among all types of troops, and almost every day someone runs away.
The rest of the generals chose soldiers, first asking for veterans and then new recruits. As for slave soldiers, they were basically ignored. Today, Xu Haifeng did the opposite, not wanting any veterans or new recruits, directly choosing slave soldiers. This made Gu Daozhao, who had been through many battles, take a surprise. He even wondered in his heart whether Xu Haifengs training method was too overbearing and would easily cause casualties, so he chose those slave soldiers who were not noticed by others.
"Alright, everything as you wish, but I want to see results in three months."
"Please be assured, General, I will not disappoint you."
After Xu Haifeng and Fangxiang Ming left, a person walked out of the back hall. It was Cheng Ming, the aide who had led the way earlier. Just by looking at how freely he could enter and exit the front and back halls, it was clear that his status was not ordinary.
"Uncle, are you being too rash in appointing him as the commander of the vanguard?" Cheng Ming stepped forward and said with a bow.
"Whats your take on the strength of our Xīnguì Legion?" Gu Dào Xiū didnt answer directly, instead asking back.
"The Tianying Legion is one of the five major legions of the Empire, with 100,000 armored warriors, numerous military achievements, and can be called the worlds top-notch army." Cheng Ming had a proud look on his face, indeed such a strong army was rare in the world.
"Youve also seen the testimony of the surrendered soldiers. What do you think, how does the combat strength of the Tianying Legion compare to that of Hai Fengs subordinates?"
This time, Cheng Ming didnt speak up right away. After a while, he said sullenly, "If they werent exaggerating, its probably slightly inferior."
Gu Dao stroked his beard and said, "Its not just a little worse, if those demoted soldiers hadnt boasted, the two would be simply worlds apart. I really want to see if there are such strong troops in this world. Today, I appointed him as acting commander of the vanguard, if he has the ability, for the sake of being promoted, he will definitely go all out and not dare to hide his clumsiness. Three months later, the result will be clear."
"So thats how it is, Uncle is indeed wise." Cheng Ming continued: "In that case, should we send a few people disguised as slaves to infiltrate their army and figure out the mystery?"
"Since he is among our troops, the truth will eventually come to light. Theres no need to rush now, and if he finds out, it might even lead to trouble."
"Yes, nephew understands, then lets wait and see."
"Not bad, you pass the order down. Provide Xu Haifeng with all the personnel and supplies he needs. No department is allowed to make things difficult for him on any pretext. Otherwise, military law will be enforced." Gu Daos last sentence suddenly became stern, a fierce and formidable aura spreading far and wide, causing Cheng Ming to shiver violently. A great hero indeed has his ruthless and terrifying side.
