I Built a Territory in Ancient Times Chapter 28

Chapter 28

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“Great General Wei.” Ming Yu took two steps forward, “What wind blew you here?”

Great General Wei stopped his horse, dismounted and greeted Ming Yu, “Greetings Wangye. I heard that Wangye had made some uncommon entertainments these days so I came here to join in the fun. Turning up unannounced like this, I hope Wangye won’t blame me.”

He had heard that Duan Wang had made some new playgrounds for the soldiers to train and even relied on Xie Yixiu to pull up the Red-Robed Army as sparring partners . The strange thing was that Xie Yixiu, this stubborn master, unexpectedly agreed. Therefore, he had to come to take a look no matter what. 

Ming Yu laughed a bit, “How could that be? Having Great General Wei arrive and be able to give some pointers to the soldiers would be considered as the soldiers’ fortune.”

“Wangye has overpraised me. I just fancy lively scenes and nothing else.” 

The group smiled and walked inside, while the soldiers all went down to make their own preparations.

The details of the confrontation practice had been agreed on, including single-player, team competition, as well as offensive and defensive confrontation between the two sides, surprise attacks and ambush breakthroughs; all possible strategies and tactics on the battlefield will be carried out in this practice.

Single-player, team competition is easy, since everyone has eyes, they could see who’s strong and who’s weak at a glance. It’s just that this strategy and tactics would need to be used in war with real weapons to see its real potential. In this way, if everyone is heated during the practice and someone didn’t hold back it could result in casualties that would damage everyone’s harmony.

Ming Yu naturally took this into account: it was just a drill, how could they use real weapons? So the sword was replaced with wood, the iron arrowhead on the arrow was also replaced with a wooden arrow wrapped in a soft cloth, and then smeared with white ash. Finally, the white ash marks on the soldier’s body was used as the basis for battle damage and calculating casualties. Through this estimation, the victory or defeat will be determined. In any case, everything was based on safety.

Single-player and team competition was a warm-up, the focus of this confrontation drill was in the confrontation of attack and defense, encirclement and breakthrough, ambush and anti-ambush.

These were the most likely to be encountered on the battlefield, and Ming Yu had repeatedly pondered the most characteristic battles in ancient times, and comprehensively sorted them out to several sets of rules. After giving Xie Yixiu a look, Xie Yixiu combined it with the current situation, made modifications and adjustments, and finally selected several case files for integration and replication.

Ming Yu’s guard battalion and Xie Yixiu’s Red-Robed Army respectively casted lots to decide the red and blue camp, then it would be you attack and I defend, or you ambush me, and I calculate your ambush pattern to counterattack.

The number of people was the same, but the Red Robe Army is a veteran of the battlefield for a long time. It had always been easy for them to fight in war. The guard battalion, on the other hand, was a group of lazy laoye men from the capital. Their formal training time lasted only a few months, it was just that Ming Yu’s training method was different.

The effect of this innovative training method was still unknown, and everyone wanted to see how the results were. Therefore, although it was known that the guard battalion would not win against the Red-Robed Army, everyone was very interested in the performance of the guard battalion at this time.

After the rules of the confrontation drill were conveyed, it was up to the soldiers to discuss countermeasures and how to deal with the enemy.

This kind of confrontation made everyone feel interesting. General Wei listened to the rules of the confrontation drill and was also full of interest. He asked curiously: “I wonder which side Wangye is optimistic about?”

Ming Yu turned his head and smiled: “Winning or losing is not important, what is important is to be able to see the weak and strong points of the opponents and learn to absorb the other side’s strong points while learning to change one own’s weak point, isn’t that right?” 

General Wei nodded in admiration, “Yes, Wangye thought it through.”

Mr. Wen clapped his hands and sighed: “Indeed, the method of this drill is very good. When the drill is conducted, if you make a mistake, there will be a chance to correct it, so you will not make the same mistake on the real battlefield. After all, once you go to the battlefield, it will be a matter of life and death. It’s either you die or I die. As soon as there is a mistake, there will be no chance to start again. ”

“Haha, it is precisely so. It seems that this kind of drill training is beneficial and harmless, so that the soldiers can become familiar with the cruelty on the battlefield as soon as possible, thus, the soldiers will be able to grow quickly. After experiencing more of such battles, soldiers can cope with it freely on the battlefield.” General Wei said while twirling his beard. They were all veterans who had been on the battlefield for a long time, and they only needed to think about it a little to understand the key points, “It is really admirable that Wangye was able to come up with this.”

Receiving praise from the big shots in the army, Ming Yu just smiled, “I’m merely passing on of what others have said, I am truly not worthy of the Great General’s praise.”

He knew his ability well, and it was absolutely impossible for him to come up with such a plan.

He only made certain changes to some of the practice methods that he learned from the later generations while adding it on to the existing basic conditions. Then adding his own ideas, and Xie Yixiu’s suggestion, he polished it until it became this kind of 4 ways confrontation drill. In fact, in Ming Yu’s mind, this kind of confrontation drill was like a gang fight that wasn’t even 1 in 100,000 of the benefits of military training of later generations, but even so, at this point in time, it still amazed everyone’s eyes.

Xie Yixiu stared at Ming Yu’s calm smile, unconsciously softening his gaze. He still remembered the first time he heard Ming Yu bring it up, the shock in his heart was no less than the others.

General Wei did not believe his modest words. During the days when Duan Wang came to Liangcheng, he learned that His Highness Duan Wang, instead of being even a little bit foolish and domineering, he was was humble and courteous, sensitive and studious, with outstanding wisdom, and a compassionate heart, which was able to sympathize with the commoners’ suffering. 

It’s just that somehow when he was in the capital, His Highness Duan Wang had shown a different side, making everyone misunderstand his character. However, thinking about it, there was nothing wrong with it. What kind of dirty things doesn’t exist in the imperial palace? He heard that His Highness the Fourteenth prince was still in the womb when he was secretly plotted against resulting in his premature birth.

It wasn’t like there wasn’t any prince who didn’t die in the imperial palace. It is precisely like this that it would appear the fourteenth prince was foolish. He did not fall into the water for unknown reasons a few years ago, but the matter was left unsettled and treated as settled. If he had revealed his wise side early on, no one would know if it would result in fortune or a curse. 

General Wei twirled his beard, he admired Ming Yu while also somewhat sighed in pity. The tough and resolute face of decades of mighty domineering forced him to squeeze out some kindness.

Ming Yu didn’t know that General Wei had already made up thousands of words in his mind about his miserable past. He himself and Xie Yixiu discussed it for a while, and then decided to start the drill.

As soon as they spoke, the guards passed on the order.

A battle drum sounded. When the two sides of the groups who had been preparing launched an assault, Ming Yu and the rest was at the tent at a comparably high terrant with table and chairs arranged. Nowadays, there were no telescopes, communication equipment, or high-tech stuff that can allow real time monitoring, so they could only have a superintendent to run back and forth to report on the situation on the battlefield. Although there will be delays, it was better than nothing.

Ming Yu and the others leisurely drank tea, ate snacks, and occasionally listened to the report of his subordinates while looking at the sand table in the center of the tent, deducing what step had been taken so far, and what the gap between victory and defeat had been so far. 

This sand table was also prepared by Ming Yu, who had already sent someone to survey the terrain of the drill place, and then let the craftsmen make it according to the proportions.

The rest of the people felt strange when they saw this novel thing, after Ming Yu explained it, the eyes of several people looking at Ming Yu became hot.

General Wei circled around the sand table several times. He spoke while admiring it greatly, “This thing is good, it is clearer than the map. Wangye, how many good things do you have, might as well take them all out at once to take a look.”

Mr. Wen stared at this thing called the sand table. It was really exquisitely well made: the valley rivers, tree roads were like a miniature version of the real mountain view, which was able to make people understand the situation at a glance.

“Exactly! This topographic sand table was cleverly conceived and well-made, making it a rare thing. Wangye, speaking of our Red-Robed Army accompanying the guard battalion to practice, there is hard work but no merit. No matter what there should be something in it for us, the Red-Robe Army.” Mr. Wen rubbed his hands and bluntly began to demand stuff.

Xie Yixiu was very satisfied with Wen Yuzhao’s pioneering voice. Very good, he learned a bit from his own style.

General Wei was not satisfied, he raised furrowed brows and furious eyes at Mr. Wen. He, as a senior hadn’t opened his mouth yet, but was already preempted by this boy. He hurriedly and urgently said, “Wangye, you can’t just take care of the Red-Robed Army, our border garrison needs such a sand table even more.”

“It is a waste for your garrison to hold it but when our Red-Robed Army has this thing, it may be assumed that we will be like fishes in water.” Mr. Wen did not let the old man’s thoughts go, he refused to give in at all cost.

“Why? How can it be wasted on our garrison? Boy, today you have to clearly explain this to me.” General Wei was so angry that he blew his beard and narrowed his eyes. Subordinates imitate their superiors’ vices, this stinky boy of the Wen family was brought here from Java Kingdom by this boy, Xie Yixiu.

Wen Yuzhao was not afraid of him and he was about to refute when he was pulled by Ming Yu.

Seeing that the two were about to quarrel, Ming Yu really had a big headache. He looked at Xie Yixiu, who was standing silently on the side, the other party had no intention of soothing the fight so he had no choice but to go up on his own.

He pulled Wen Yuzhao along and smiled while trying to sooth thing over, “This thing is not gold nor an expensive thing, if the two of you want it, Ben Wang will send craftsmen to make one for each of you.”

With Ming Yu’s promise, the two finally did not have to argue anymore, but they were not happy in their heartsl; the state of being in mutual hostility in the big tent was still the same as before.

Ming Yu really did not expect such a situation to happen. He was about to say something to ease the atmosphere, but he heard a cold voice ring out, “The blue team of the guard battalion only has about an hour more, i’m afraid they are going to lose.”

Ming Yu was surprised to hear this, he hurriedly rushed over to look at the sand table. The rest of the people couldn’t care about anything else, their eyes were fixed on the sand table.

“What did you say?” Ming Yu wondered why Xie Yixiu had concluded that the guard battalion would lose within an hour. He also knew this group of people, but if it was before, he would believe this, but now that the guards had been training for many months, how could they be defeated so quickly? Moreover, he was well prepared for this drill, there were several sets of battle plans. Although the Red Robe Army was the most powerful, he did not believe that they could not support such a little period of time .

On the sand table there were small red and blue flags representing the two camps of the red and blue sides. The location of the two sides were clear at a glance. The scouts had just reported the actions of the two sides, and the red and blue flags on the sand table at this time were the current battle situation.

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