Seven days later, Su Wenchuan from Han Feng's department returned from Gaoyang City with important news. The logistics team in Gaoyang City had indeed begun transporting grain and military equipment to Liudao Kou, and this intelligence revealed that the number of troops being transported was extremely large. Zhang Hui, taking precautions against unexpected events, dispatched 8,000 bandits to escort them, including more than 3,000 elite soldiers, and coerced over 10,000 local civilians and refugees to join the escort. According to Su Wenchuan's estimate, they should have set out a day before he returned to Meihe Town.

  Liu Ce received this intelligence and immediately ordered the Jingwei camp to assemble, preparing to set out on a campaign. Suddenly, the entire Jingwei camp was in an uproar...

  "I heard we're going on another expedition? Great! This time I'm definitely going to make a name for myself and get rewarded!"

  "That's right! The rewards we got from capturing the bandits in various places a while back are far less than those old flags. I heard that this time it's a big fish, and the general will definitely not treat us unfairly!"

  "You just think about what reward you want to get, this time I don't want a reward, as long as there's enough food to eat, now I just want to make achievements and become a Wu Zhang Shi!"

  "I heard this time there are over 20,000 refugees, can we handle it with just these few people?"

  "What's there to fear about 20,000 people? With the combat strength of our elite vanguard of over 4,000 men, we can finish them off with just a few stabs each!"

  "Haha, well said! You know what? General Shi said when he was training us at Wanjiabao Village: 'The Imperial Guards don't ask how many enemies there are, only where the enemy is.'"

  "I'm going! Why didn't you tell me this before? This is too damn infuriating!"

  "Is it useful to say anything? You couldn't even recognize half a character when you first came in, can you understand what's being said?"

  "Haha... Everyone, this time we're going to make a fortune! But we must strictly follow military discipline!"

  "When are we departing? I can't wait any longer. Ever since killing those bandits a few times, I've been feeling uneasy whenever I have some free time!"

  "It'll be soon, just wait for Commander Qi and the others to come out of the government office..."

  Just as the soldiers of various flags were discussing how to go on an expedition in the school field, a strange scene appeared inside the government office...

  Only in the great hall, on one side, various flags were arguing over the quota for going out to battle, Yang Kai Shan and Feng Qiu Nian glared at each other, their faces red with rage. The others, Sun Cheng and Guo Tao, Yang Fan, were also quarreling, their blood boiling, if not for Liu Ce being present, they might have come to blows.

  Feng Chou Yan saw that the argument was getting nowhere, so he let out a loud roar and said: "No need to argue, my Wei Qi soldiers are the bravest and most skilled in battle. I'll take this vanguard position for sure! Whoever dares to say no, I'll... his neck..."

  "Get out of my sight!" Yang Kai Shan suddenly burst into a foul mouth, interrupting him. "You think Wei Qi is the most brave and good at fighting? Doesn't he put me, Yang Kai Shan's troops, in his eyes? You're just a roughneck with well-developed limbs but a simple mind, would you think anyone present would agree to let you be the vanguard?"

  Yang Kai said, trying to get Sun Cheng and others to come and help, but soon found that Sun Cheng and the other two were not in the mood to care about them.

  "Sun Cheng, you've earned enough merit, give me some face and let me have the quota for this expedition!"

  "What's your face worth in military merit? And have you ever heard of anyone complaining about having too much military merit? Get out of my sight, and just stay and guard Meihe Town obediently!"

  "Sun Cheng, don't be too arrogant, just because you have a few more days of military service than me doesn't mean you can look down on others!"

  Yang Fan beside him also joined Guo Tao's camp and together they pointed their spears at Sun Cheng.

  On one side, the argument was irreconcilable, while on the other side, Liu Ce, Xu Hui, Han Feng, Qin Mo and Chen Qingyang were gathered around a table with a topographic map drawn by Qin Mo.

  "General, look...” Qin Mo pointed to the map and said, “This place is densely forested, unfavorable for our cavalry to deploy and fight. We need to advance another thirty miles forward, where there will be a vast plain as far as the eye can see. If the bandits want to quickly reach Liudao Kou, they must pass through this plain.”

  Liu Ce nodded slowly and then said, "Han Feng, who is the leader of the bandits that we are escorting this time?"

  Han Feng said: "From the intelligence conveyed by Su Wenchuan, this time the leader of the bandit army being escorted is named Pei Xi. He is a fierce general in the bandit camp and was born into a military family, so he understands the ways of marching and arraying troops."

  Liu Ce burst out laughing: "What's the use of understanding military formations and arrays? If your subordinates are all incompetent, even if a famous general commands them, they can't avoid a disastrous defeat. Although my Imperial Guard has few men, we are united in our determination to fight as one, and even if we face tens of thousands of enemy troops, we can still charge forward bravely. You must remember, the prestige of an army is earned by its soldiers!"

  "We will strictly follow General's teachings!" Yang Youhuai, Han Feng, Xu Hui and Chen Qing said in unison, clasping their fists.

  Liu Ce nodded and suddenly slammed his hand heavily on the table, shouting: "Have you had enough of your quarrel!"

  At this moment, the five people in the hall fell silent, staring blankly at Liu Ce...

  Liu Ce saw that everyone had quieted down, and with a very stern expression, he said: "What's wrong with all of you? What's there to quarrel about over such a small matter? Are you not afraid of losing face if this gets out? Listen to my military order!"

  "Halt!" All the flag bearers stood straight, waiting for Liu Zhi's orders.

  "Feng Qiu Nian, Yang Kai Shan, Guo Tao, Xu Hui, Chen Qing, Han Feng! Tomorrow, the six of you will follow me into battle! Xu Hui's troops will leave behind 500 soldiers!"

  "Yes, sir!" The people whose names were called smiled with joy.

  "Yang Fan, Sun Cheng, Yang Youhuai! The three of you stay and guard Meihe Town, Xu Hui's unit will leave five hundred men for you to allocate yourselves!"

  "Yes sir." The three men felt a little disappointed that they couldn't follow the army on their expedition, but still strictly followed Liu Ce's orders.

  "Don't be discouraged!" Liu Ce comforted them, "My Jingwei Camp is fighting outside, and the rear cannot be neglected. Meihe Town is the foundation of my Jingwei Camp, with many grains and supplies inside, shouldering the heavy responsibility of protecting the people. To prevent bandits from taking advantage of the situation, you must not take it lightly! Don't worry, in future battles, you will have your turn to fight!"

  "The final general order!" The three men felt a great deal of weight on their shoulders when Liu Ce said this!

  "Mr. Ye, you have worked hard to stay and guard the town for a long time."

  "No, no, marching and fighting were never my strong points. The general's arrangement is just what I wanted, don't worry, I'll supervise the soldiers well and wait for the general's triumphant return!" Ye Bin was very satisfied with this arrangement.

  Liu Ce made a fist and saluted Ye Bin, then turned to Qin Mo and said, "This time, I'll trouble Mr. Qin to follow the army on its way forward. Since you're familiar with the terrain, it would be best if you could guide our troops along the way, just in case."

  General Qin smiled and said, "You're too kind, General. If I can be of any help, it would be a great honor for me."

  Having finished speaking, everyone dispersed to take care of their respective tasks. Liu Ce also headed towards his own main camp...

  Under Liu's large banner, 350 soldiers each led a fast horse and were training in horsemanship under the command of their officers.

  Apart from the 352 war horses and 350 fast horses handed over to Chen Qing, more than 400 of the remaining fast horses were assigned to Liu Ce's own banner army, with 350 of them being incorporated into his personal guard. Liu Ce planned for all soldiers in the elite guard to learn horse riding, becoming infantry on horseback, without needing high-intensity training like Chen Qing's troops, but rather learning to fight on horseback and adapt to marching on horseback. Due to the limited number of horses currently available, they could only start with their own banner army, and once more horses were acquired to equip the entire elite guard, their mobility would be greatly enhanced, allowing them to respond to any battle with ease.

  "Zi Jun, come here." Liu Ce called out to an officer who was practicing horse riding techniques with his soldiers. This officer's name was Chu Zi Jun, a local from Meihe Town, who had enlisted voluntarily on the second day after Liu Ce captured Meihe Town and had performed exceptionally well in several battles, showing no signs of nervousness when he killed for the first time, and later achieved repeated military successes, earning him the title of Bai Zhang under Liu Ce's command and receiving generous rewards.

  "General, what are your orders?" Chu Zijun came to Liu Ce's side, with a respectful face. During this period of time, he had been deeply impressed by the general who was only a few months younger than himself and the elite guard he led, and he felt proud to have joined such a powerful army.

  Liu Ce looked at Chu Zijun and asked warmly, "How are the soldiers' drills going?"

  Chu Zijun said, "In just over a month, the officers and men have already adapted to galloping on horseback and can shoot arrows while riding. They have met the general's requirements. If we continue training, it won't take long before they are no worse than Chen Qi's cavalry."

  "Well done!" Liu Zhi heard him say this, and was very pleased. He then said, "Tell the officers that after the drill ends in the afternoon, they should go back and rest well. Tomorrow, follow me to battle!"

  "Yes, sir!" Chu Zijun's eyes were filled with fervor.

  As Chu Zijun left, the news of going to war spread to everyone's ears, and the entire army burst into a shocking cheer. Liu Ce knew that this army in his hands had become a tiger wolf teacher. What is a tiger wolf teacher? Dare to fight! Seek battle! Thirst for battle! Train hard every moment, sweat and blood! Endure all kinds of torture! Be like wolves and tigers against the enemy, venting all anger! Crush the enemy with strong willpower! This is the tiger wolf teacher!

  Liu Ce knew that the road ahead of him was still very, very long and that he would face countless challenges as fierce as blood rain and storms in the future, but he believed that as long as this army supported him, he would fear no obstacles!

  At noon, the soldiers of various flags who have families and parents are given a half-day off to enjoy family time. The soldiers in the Jingwei camp must live in the continuous empty houses designated by Liu, and they are not allowed to leave the camp without permission on ordinary days. Therefore, even in the same town, soldiers and their families rarely have the opportunity to be alone together, so they cherish this rare opportunity.

  Chu Zijun returned home and paid his respects to his mother, then lit incense for his late father before starting to help his mother with household chores.

  Chu Mu is less than 37 years old this year, has given birth to and raised three children, unfortunately the first two were not lucky enough to survive, leaving only Chu Zi Jun as the sole heir, whom she loves dearly. His father was a teacher who passed away from illness three years ago, leaving behind only Chu Zi Jun and his mother to rely on each other for survival.

  Months ago, bandits occupied Meihe Town, looting everything in the town. In order to survive, Chu Mu tried every means, even sacrificing herself to the bandits, just to keep herself and her son alive. Every time Chu Zi Jun thought of his mother being humiliated by the bandits, he felt a sharp pain in his heart. He hated the bandits with all his might, secretly vowing that when he had the chance, he would take good care of his mother and kill all the bandits.

  Fortunately, the heavens opened their eyes, and in just a few months, Jingwei's camp descended upon Meihe Town with lightning speed, thoroughly annihilating Jin Heng's forces. When Chu Zijun personally witnessed Liu Ce giving the order, and thousands of surrendered bandits fell to the ground in a pool of blood, he was deeply shocked. Therefore, when Liu Ce recruited new soldiers, Chu Zijun was the first to join Jingwei's camp! Unexpectedly, within a month, due to his outstanding military achievements, he was personally promoted by Liu Ce as one of his hundred generals. Reflecting on the drastic changes that had taken place in his life over just a few short months, he couldn't help but sigh in private.

  The "Yi Jie Feng Huo Lu" you are reading now, chapter 53, only has half a chapter. To read the full version, please search on Baidu: () and then search again for "Yi Jie Feng Huo Lu".