Chapter 138: Reviewing the Troops and Drilling the Formations

In ancient times, the first key to judging whether an army was crack was to observe its qi — if the ranks were uniform and orderly, strictly arrayed and standing in solemn silence, then it was a crack force.

Back when Qi Jiguang was transferred to Ji Garrison, seeing that the officers and men there were lax in discipline, he urgently dispatched three thousand of his own Zhejiang troops to Ji Garrison. It happened to be pouring rain, and the three thousand Qi family troops formed up in the outskirts, standing motionless in the rain from morning till night, which so shocked the Ji Garrison officers and men that they understood what a strong army looked like.

Strictly ordered ranks represent long and harsh training behind them. Lu Xiangsheng, a veteran of military affairs, naturally understood this. Looking at those two hundred-odd Shunxiang troops in tight formation below, every one of them tall and stalwart, their faces still bearing the pride of having survived bloody battle.

This martial valor and pride were a refreshing sight. Lu Xiangsheng had seen too many of the Ming army's numb, indifferent faces — old, weak, and motley, even though many of them had equipment far better than the Shunxiang Fort soldiers.

Lu Xiangsheng no longer needed to issue any drill commands. He knew at once that the Shunxiang troops before him were first-rate crack soldiers. No wonder they could repel the Qing troops and take eighty heads.

To find such fierce soldiers in a small fort was astonishing and bewildering. Yet there were only a bit over two hundred men before him. Lu Xiangsheng had read the relevant registers — Shunxiang Fort had a paper strength of over three hundred men, so it seemed Wang Dou had pocketed part of the payroll, but even with some payroll padding, for the remaining soldiers to have such bearing and combat power, it was still worthwhile.

Lu Xiangsheng's face was full of admiration. He said to Wang Dou, "Are all of Shunxiang Fort's soldiers here?"

Wang Dou said, "These are the officers and men on the troop register. During the farming off-season, your subordinate also organizes the fort's able-bodied military households for training."

Lu Xiangsheng's interest was piqued: "Summon them all here for me to see."

Wang Dou instructed Han Zhong and Sun Sanjie with a few words to go summon the officers and men under their pickets, and the two quickly departed.

Before long, Han Zhong's Left Picket soldiers and Sun Sanjie's Rear Picket soldiers filed into the drill ground by squads. They had all been working in the fields; upon receiving the order, they assembled very quickly. Shunxiang Fort's usual harsh training paid off — although the assembly order was rushed, they still rapidly formed up and came running in by squads.

These two pickets of soldiers wore no armor and carried only long spears. Ordinarily, if the Shunxiang troops did not wear armor, outsiders would surely take them for a beggar gang, because up to now, not a single soldier in the several pickets of Shunxiang troops had a proper military uniform. Even if the military households had their original mandarin-duck battle jackets, they were all so tattered that one could hardly tell they were uniforms.

Lu Xiangsheng and the others on the platform watched squad after squad of beggar-gang disciples come running in. What astonished them was that although these soldiers were in ragged clothes, dressed in a riot of mismatched garments, and their weapons were crude, the strictness of their military bearing was not one bit inferior to those two hundred-odd ironclad elite soldiers from before.

They were organized the same as the Great Ming army, also in squads of several dozen men, each squad with its own squad leader. After entering the drill ground, they quickly converged and halted before the platform, their ranks not the slightest bit disordered, arrayed just as strictly and impeccably as those ironclad elite soldiers.

Lu Xiangsheng looked at these able-bodied soldiers — many still had mud on their hands and bodies, clearly military households who had just come out from working the fields. In such a short time, under such a tense assembly order, to be able to rapidly converge and complete assembly showed they were well-trained in peacetime. Looking at their faces, full of heroic spirit, not a single one old or weak — if they donned armor, several hundred more crack ironclad warriors would be born.

Lu Xiangsheng said incredulously, "Wang Dou, these are the able-bodied soldiers you have organized and trained?"

Wang Dou said, "In reply to the Viceroy, when busy, your subordinate urges the soldiers to farm; in idle times, he has them drill. These are indeed the able-bodied soldiers your subordinate has organized and trained."

Lu Xiangsheng looked at the Shunxiang Fort soldiers below the platform and said with a pained heart, "Though they are only able-bodied conscripts, every one of them is a fine soldier — it is just that their equipment and supply are far too crude."

The people behind Lu Xiangsheng were also whispering among themselves. Zhang Guowei, Assistant Regional Commander of the East Route of Xuanfu Garrison, and Mao Bin, Mobile Corps Commander of the East Route, both stared wide-eyed. Their own retainers' equipment was many times better than that of the beggar-gang disciples below the platform, but in terms of formation strictness and military discipline, they fell far short of those able-bodied soldiers below — it was too hard to imagine.

Wang Dou said, "In reply to the Viceroy, my Shun Fort is only a small fort. In ordinary times, just to feed these soldiers and able-bodied men, your subordinate has already exerted his utmost, therefore…"

The Baoan Guard Garrison Commander, Lord Li Yian, cleared his throat and stepped forward. First he bowed deeply and shakily to Lu Xiangsheng, then said to Wang Dou in a reproachful tone, "Wang Dou, this is your fault. If Shun Fort had difficulties, why didn't you say so earlier? These able-bodied soldiers are likewise good men who kill rebels for the country. No matter how hard-pressed our guard battalion is, we must spare them from hunger and cold, must we not?"

Wang Dou hurriedly said, "Absolutely not, Lord Garrison Commander. The guard battalion is also in difficulty now. Some time ago, Shun Fort suffered bitterly from the eastern slaves' plundering. Upon hearing of it, you, venerable sir, immediately allocated so much grain for relief. All of Shun Fort is already deeply grateful. Though the able-bodied soldiers' equipment is crude, they already deeply feel the state's grace, and not one of them has any complaint."

Li Yian withdrew with a glowing face. Ji Shiwei, the Huailai Military Defense Circuit Intendant, said to Lu Xiangsheng, "My lord, set your mind at ease. Although the court's grain and pay allocations fall short, Shun Fort has rendered service to the state. As for the fort's able-bodied soldiers, so long as Battalion Commander Wang compiles them into a troop register, my Huailai Circuit will also issue monthly pay, grain, and equipment."

Lu Xiangsheng nodded slowly, a satisfied expression appearing on his face. Wang Dou was also overjoyed and hastily bowed in thanks.

Lu Xiangsheng looked down at the platform again. After all this time, those ironclad soldiers below, and those able-bodied soldiers as well, still kept their eyes fixed straight ahead, standing ramrod straight, the ranks without the slightest slant or disorder. This kind of military bearing and discipline, to a soldier-lover like him, was truly moving.

He said to Wang Dou, "Wang Dou, I am curious. How did you train these soldiers?"

Wang Dou said, "In reply to the Viceroy, ordinarily the Lord Garrison Commander and the Lord Drill Supervisor strictly urge us on. Your subordinate's ancestors followed Marshal Qi and left behind several military manuals; your subordinate merely trains according to those manuals."

Lu Xiangsheng was noncommittal. He had seen the officers and men in the garrison city and the departmental city — apart from a portion of the commanders' retainers who could barely fight, the rest were old, weak, and motley, lax in drill, a typical motley mob. Not only that, the troops under the East Route Assistant Regional Commander and Mobile Corps Commander were not much better.

As for military manuals, which military officer's study did not have a few on display for appearances? But those who truly trained strictly by them, or trained successfully, were far too few. Training troops involved a series of complex problems; it was not something one could accomplish just by wanting to.

The fact that Wang Dou's ancestors had followed Qi Jiguang piqued Lu Xiangsheng's curiosity. He asked a few questions, then said, "Wang Dou, how do you ordinarily drill the soldiers? Perform it and let me see."

Wang Dou bowed deeply to Lu Xiangsheng, then walked to the front of the platform and bellowed, "Stand at attention!"

With a "Hua!" — every Shunxiang soldier on the drill ground straightened his figure, each standing ramrod straight. They knew a great personage had come to inspect today; in order not to let their lord lose face, they summoned every ounce of their spirit.

Wang Dou shouted, "Shoulder pikes and firelocks."

Again a "Hua!" — a uniform flash of cold steel swept through as every Shunxiang soldier on the drill ground brought his pike or firelock to rest against his shoulder. On the drill ground, pikes and firelocks stood like a forest, and a murderous aura spread outward.

Lu Xiangsheng inwardly exclaimed, "Good!"

From a few simple movements of the Shunxiang troops, one could see they were no simple matter. This kind of uniform movement — ten thousand men as one — could not be achieved without long and harsh training behind it. Zhang Guowei and Mao Bin were also greatly startled. They saw the beggar-like able-bodied soldiers below moving in unison, just as uniformly as those ironclad soldiers. In their impression, the Great Ming's regular officers and men were all slack and slovenly, yet the military bearing and training of these militia conscripts organized by Shunxiang Fort far surpassed the regular government troops under their own command.

Wang Dou shouted, "Form ranks and advance!"

The sound of uniform footsteps rose as the three pickets of soldiers formed three orderly square formations and advanced rank by rank. Looking down from the platform, it was a dense mass of firelocks and pikes, each square formation separated by a dozen-odd paces, the sound of footsteps crisp and uniform.

The people on the platform watched, entranced. The Shunxiang troops' formation drill was full of the beauty of power and gave them an immense shock. Lu Xiangsheng fell into deep thought. As a man who had led troops for many years, how could he not understand the strength of the Shunxiang troops below? He now had some doubts about those heads claimed by the East Route of Xuanfu Garrison…

The three square formations advanced wave after wave. As they passed before the drill platform, every soldier looked up toward the platform, heads high and chests out, faces full of pride. Wang Dou also drew his heavy sword and pointed it obliquely; one orderly square formation after another passed proudly beneath his blade.

Lu Xiangsheng's personal general Chen An glanced at Wang Dou and was about to speak, but Lu Xiangsheng shook his head and stopped him.

The three square formations marched two circuits around the drill ground and finally halted before the drill platform, once again standing in solemn stillness, their ranks still impeccably strict.

Wang Dou looked at his army, his heart also full of pride. He walked to the front of the platform and bellowed, "Our Shunxiang Army!"

"Mighty and fierce!"

"Our Shunxiang Army!"

"Mighty and fierce!"

"Great Ming!"

"Ten thousand victories! Ten thousand victories! Ten thousand victories!"

The sound shook the fields in all directions!

A silence fell over the platform. After a long while, Lu Xiangsheng asked, "Wang Dou, how did you train these soldiers?"

Wang Dou said, "In reply to the Viceroy, your subordinate's method is very simple: following Marshal Qi's military manuals, first spend several months having them form ranks and organize squads, then have them familiarize themselves with banner and drum signals, and finally teach them the tactics for killing the enemy. In this way, an army can be formed."

Lu Xiangsheng asked, "By your estimate, how long would it take to train troops to the standard of the army below the platform?"

Wang Dou calculated briefly and said, "I estimate half a year. Of course, after the soldiers are trained, they must be sent into battle to kill the enemy and see blood; only thus can they become a strong army."

Ji Shiwei, the Huailai Military Defense Circuit Intendant, stepped forward and said in a trembling voice, "Wang Dou, are you saying that every half year, you can train a batch of such fierce soldiers?"

Wang Dou pondered for a good while, then said, "Not entirely. Training soldiers requires large amounts of grain and pay. If soldiers don't eat their fill, they cannot even manage the most basic formation and squad organization, let alone the training that follows. Your subordinate has exerted his utmost, yet could only train these several hundred soldiers and able-bodied youths."

"Ah, grain and pay."

Ji Shiwei sighed, and his spirits seemed to half die on the spot.

Lu Xiangsheng did not have Wang Dou continue to demonstrate various formation changes. Seeing the Shunxiang troops' strict military bearing, such things were already unnecessary. Yet the curiosity within him only grew stronger.

He said, "Wang Dou, you once said the slave rebels' armor and weapons are very sharp, and that you held the fort by relying on your soldiers' peacetime training and their determination to fight to the death. The first two points I do not doubt. But you also said you relied on our Chinese deadly firearms. I wish to see just how deadly your Shunxiang Fort's firearms are!"