Chapter 213: Assessment

Outside the Zongyang Gate, the Dajiaochang drill ground was churning with dust. The First Company had just rushed in through the main gate. Wu Dacai, panting for breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead with a hand and saw several people standing to the left of the camp gate, each holding a bamboo rod, one of them loudly counting off numbers.

The squad halted inside the gate. Wu Dacai stood before Dong Mingyuan and shouted, "First Squad, all eleven men present!"

Dong Mingyuan hastily counted the heads, then turned to the Garrison Inspector soldier behind him and said, "First Squad, fifth to arrive in full."

Hearing fifth place, Wu Dacai breathed a slight sigh of relief. These two days were the First Company's Autumn Official Assessment, five items in total. The first item, the rapid march, tested physical fitness. The garrison camp placed extreme importance on fitness, ranking individual skills lower by comparison, so the march was placed as the first item — this one alone would directly eliminate people.

The assessment required a weighted rapid march of five li. Squad rankings were calculated by full-team arrival. The last-place squad would eliminate one man into the Reserve Camp; that man's Squad of Five leader would become an Acting Squad of Five Leader, and his monthly pay would be reduced to that of an ordinary Battalion Commander soldier.

If, across all five items, a squad ranked in the bottom three for two items total, the squad leader would be demoted to Squad of Five Leader, and that squad's Banner Commander would become Acting Banner Commander. One more problem of any kind, and the Banner Commander would be dismissed from his post.

Those ranking at the top would receive priority promotion, but compared to promotion, the pressure of demotion was far greater. Soldiers feared being eliminated into the Reserve Camp even more — their income would be cut by more than half, and they would suffer the scorn of others. Layer upon layer, it pressed down on everyone until they could barely breathe. No squad dared relax for a single day. Whenever a squad had someone falling behind, the squad leader had no choice but to spend his own time urging them on.

The army reorganization was not yet complete. No one wanted to be ranked last in the assessment. Wu Dacai had spent a great deal of effort on training. Fifth place in today's rapid march — though not at the very top, it was at least outside the danger zone. Wu Dacai was satisfied.

He led the squad to the western edge of the drill ground. After standing at attention and counting off, they straightened their appearance, then broke formation. Everyone immediately sat on the ground, gasping for breath, all of them drenched in sweat.

"The next assessment item is donning armor..." Wu Dacai knew the squads behind wouldn't be far behind. Seizing the moment, he didn't bother to steady his breathing before standing in front of the squad and starting his reminders. "Remember the sequence. Remember to line up by number. Take your helmet before putting on the Main Armor. I'll say it again: take your helmet. Help each other when donning armor. Main Armor, neck guard, arm guards, leg guards, iron gauntlets — only the Skirt Armor you can do yourself. Once fully equipped, we form up immediately. Don't just stand there dumbly, especially you, Jiang the Idiot. Offensive formation: Sword and Shield leads. Long Spear soldiers, remember — second and third spears on the right, fourth and fifth spears on the left. Second and fourth high, third and fifth low. Each man remember his own role. Don't go waving that spear of yours around wildly..."

The squad members lay on the ground, listening intently to Wu Dacai's instructions. Wu Dacai thoroughly enjoyed this feeling — everyone listening to him, even if it was only ten men.

In a daze, he felt a floating sensation, as if he might lose his footing. Wu Dacai blinked and rallied his Mental Spirit. "When donning armor, place the Long Spear on your assigned side. Once you're in position, it's hard to switch. March to the drumbeats. If you can't keep the beat, take small steps. Listen to my commands. Absolutely do not pass the Sword and Shield men. Whoever causes trouble — that's who gets eliminated later."

Fear showed in the squad members' eyes. This was the Authority granted by Military Law. During assessment eliminations, the squad leader's opinion carried the most weight. That feeling from before had returned — something Wu Dacai had never experienced in his twenty-plus years as a Farmer. Perhaps he had only ever seen it in the Village Chief and the clan elder. He never imagined he would have such a day himself.

At that moment, a gong sounded. All squads had now arrived. The gong marked the official rest period. Half a stick of incense was lit on the field; when it burned out, the next item would begin. In the military camp, time was measured at all times. They had used an hourglass for a while, but since you couldn't see the remaining amount, they had switched entirely to burning incense. The incense sticks varied in length. He always felt as if something was pressing him forward. This was what Wu Dacai found hardest to get used to. Back when he was in the village, things had been far more relaxed.

Many soldiers from other companies stood around the drill ground watching. At the sound of this gong, Wu Dacai felt wave after wave of urgent need to piss. It was like this every assessment, even though he had already fought in the Battle of Beixia Pass.

Even though his body was exhausted, he didn't want to rest. He walked over and inspected each soldier's Armor Pack one by one. The next item tested both the speed of donning armor and the accuracy of formation positioning. The formation line was temporarily marked with lime and couldn't be seen yet. After donning armor and passing inspection, the squad would advance in offensive formation to the line. Ranking was by order of arrival.

"Check your own armor packs. Make sure the bag ties aren't in dead knots. If anyone can't get his open when the time comes, I won't wait for you to be eliminated — I'll beat you half to death tonight." Wu Dacai paced along the formation. That incense stick made him nervous, and the adrenaline from that nervousness made his limbs itch to move on their own.

So during this brief time, he couldn't rest, nor did he want the others lying around like this. Only after joining the army did he feel, for the first time in his life, that there wasn't enough time.

"Whoever you usually pair with to help each other put on armor, confirm the sequence one more time yourselves. Nobody screw up on me."

As he said this, he reached Wai Lian at the end of the line. Wai Lian had just sat up and lazily raised his head to glance at Wu Dacai, without the slightest respect.

The corner of Wu Dacai's mouth twitched. He turned around and walked back, continuing to bellow at the others.

When he reached the other end, that stub of incense still hadn't burned out. Wu Dacai grew even more tense. Just as he was about to find something else to do, the idiot at the head of the squad stood up and shuffled over.

He stared blankly at Wu Dacai. "Old Wu, you're just an Acting Squad Leader. In a couple of days, it'll be Wai Lian's turn. What are you howling so hard for?"

Wu Dacai glared at him and said in a low voice, "As long as the Central Army hasn't changed the Military Badge for a single day, I'm squad leader for that day. He still has to listen to me."

The idiot tilted his head. "So how are you gonna get by after that?"

Wu Dacai's expression flickered. The squad had originally all assumed he would be squad leader, maybe even promoted to Banner Commander. Quite a few people in the First Company had curried favor with him. Even he himself had told his wife, figuring it was practically a sure thing. In the end, they appointed Wai Lian. Now everyone looked at him a little strangely.

He snorted through his nose. "I call you an idiot, but sometimes you understand everything."

With that, he glanced toward the other side. Just then, a horn sounded across the field. Wu Dacai jolted, Turned Around, and shouted at the squad, "Stand up and form ranks!"

The squad members were already prepared. They rose one after another, secured their gear, and strapped the armor packs onto their backs.

The Company Commander Flag halted up ahead. Yao Dongshan stood beneath the flag. Garrison Inspector soldiers scattered lime on the ground — that was the assembly position. Then the Garrison Inspector soldiers drew lime lines at the eastern end of the Drill Ground.

"Damn grandma, it's diagonal."

Wu Dacai was cursing inwardly too. The assembly line and the stop line weren't in the same Direction — meaning the squad would have to turn while in offensive formation. In formation assessments, that was considered difficult.

Taking advantage of this brief moment, he said to the idiot in a low voice, "At Beixia Pass, I led the squad to block the enemy bandits and captured that many men. All that Wai Lian knows is killing and beating Coerced Followers among the common people. What kind of Military Merits is that? Yao Dongshan clearly promised me the squad leader post, and now he turns around and wants to pretend it never happened. I'll find my own way."

"So what then?"

A roll of Drums sounded. Wu Dacai had no time to say more. With a great roar, he led the squad charging toward the assembly point.

While the howling rose endlessly at the edge of the field, Pang Yu entered the drill ground through the camp gate. Mr. Yu, who had arrived earlier, and Bao Yu hurried over to greet him. Bao Yu looked a bit thinner, but his Mental Spirit was much better than when he had been in Tongcheng.

Today, Pang Yu had summoned Bao Yu to establish the garrison camp's Artillery squad. He had selected several dozen nimble-handed soldiers from the Reserve Camp as candidates and had Bao Yu come to see which ones were more suitable to serve as artillerymen.

Pang Yu, all smiles, said, "Has Bao Xiansheng been well in Anqing?"

"Ah... thanks to you, Lord Pang, I've grown accustomed to the food and lodging. Here, for cannon-making, nothing is lacking, and the hands at the workshop are sufficient. The bronze body of the first Bronze Cannon made for the Anqing Garrison is already finished. We're just waiting to test-fire it and then mount it on the Carriage. It's gone far more smoothly than the First Cannon. It's only that I've been away from home so long; I worry my family is anxious."

"Then, sir, simply bring your family here. One cannon is far from enough. This official needs you to continue making cannons."

Bao Yu stared blankly for a moment, then said, "My lord, you may have them make more iron molds based on this one. There will be absolutely no delay."

"The current Two Cannons are still too large, which is why repeated tests on the Carriage still haven't perfected it. The garrison camp's combat target is the Roving Bandits. Sir saw the engagement at Beixia Pass last time. I don't need cannons that fire two or three li. I need cannons that can fire level at a hundred paces to suppress the bandits' Arrows, that can move on the battlefield. The barrel can be a bit shorter, but the weight must be light, and the gun carriage must be large. Today, this official formally commissions Bao Xiansheng for a new custom Bronze Cannon."

"Not two or three li?" Bao Yu frowned. "But nowadays, all cannon-making follows the Red Barbarians. The Red Barbarian barrel has a bore-length ratio of just over twenty. Too short, and it becomes a Grand General cannon. Moreover, the longer the range, the more its power can overawe the bandits' courage."

Pang Yu shook his head. His understanding of ancient Cannons was limited — a rough impression from films and TV dramas. He knew what the external shape looked like, but as for exactly what Caliber to make or how much Gunpowder to use, he knew nothing at all. However, he was very clear about his own requirements. And from Bao Yu's repeated cannon tests, he could also see that a Smoothbore cannon had no accuracy whatsoever at long range.

"Sir, just do as this official says."

Bao Yu looked deeply troubled. "My family is all in Suzhou. Staying away this long without returning is, after all, not proper."

A look of compassionate sorrow welled in Pang Yu's eyes. Looking earnestly into Bao Yu's eyes, he said, "Now the Roving Bandits have re-entered Henan. The Central Plains are everywhere engulfed in war, and the People's Livelihood is in dire straits. Perhaps soon they will invade Anqing. This is precisely the moment for you, sir, to rouse yourself and serve the nation. The intelligence this official has received indicates that the Roving Bandits' aim this time is Jiangnan. They plan to seize boats at Anqing and cross the river. The safety of Jiangnan rests on Anqing. How can you, sir, at this moment, abandon the millions of souls in Anqing?"

Bao Yu's mouth hung open. The last time the Roving Bandits had invaded Luzhou and Anqing, there had been panic among the common people of Jiangnan. In those chaotic times, all sorts of rumors had raged fiercely, including plenty of false reports about the bandits crossing the river. Coupled with last year's Anqing Mutiny, even though Bao Yu was far away in Suzhou, his spirit had already been wounded twice. Coming from Pang Yu's mouth now, it clearly carried more credibility. And Pang Yu had also firmly seized the moral high ground.

Pang Yu was, of course, spouting nonsense — his only goal was to keep Bao Yu here. Dealing with an intellectual like Bao Yu posed no difficulty for Pang Yu. The very first sentence had frightened Bao Yu. If the Roving Bandits crossed the river, Suzhou naturally wouldn't be safe either.

"Bao Xiansheng, you are a great talent. At the battle of Shucheng Mountain Pass, it was the cannon you made that repelled the enemy with a single shot, precisely demonstrating the might of artillery. This official has already disbanded the Central Army's Arrow Squad. From now on, all long-range strikes will rely entirely on artillery. Every extra cannon you make, sir, might be the key to victory. This official will place large orders. The workshop will give you, sir, a twenty-percent top equity share. For any item the workshop produces, twenty percent of the silver earned will be yours. This is not merely business — it is also serving the nation. The garrison camp kills bandits to serve the nation; you, sir, make tools to serve the nation."

"This..." Bao Yu was hearing "make tools to serve the nation" for the first time and was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

"Sir need not worry about a shortage of projects. This official needs not only cannons, but also many military supplies: firelocks, Gunpowder, armor, and the Telescope." As Pang Yu spoke, he pulled a few sheets of paper from his bosom. "This is the Telescope light-path diagram drawn by this official. I request your corrections, sir."

Bao Yu took it, astonished. Only then did he recall that Pang Yu had mentioned drawing a light-path diagram back then. After arriving in Anqing, he had been constantly busy helping Pang Yu set up the cannon-making workshop and had completely forgotten about it. He never expected Pang Yu to remember.

He hurriedly opened it and began studying, his footsteps falling behind.

Pang Yu didn't mind and stopped to wait for him. To draw this light-path diagram, he had specifically found a few lenses and a wooden frame. Last night, he had specially lit candles to test it and had barely managed to recall some middle-school Knowledge, producing this diagram. Of course, it wasn't entirely for Bao Yu's sake — he also didn't want to always see an inverted image when using the telescope.

"This official has specifically written out the method. Sir, you may experiment on your own based on this. I believe you can improve the Telescope to produce an upright image. However, do not delay the cannon-making."

Bao Yu didn't even raise his head, utterly absorbed in studying the light-path diagram. Only after a long while did he look up at Pang Yu with admiration and say, "So that's how it is. I was off by just a hair. General, you are truly a divine being."

"Sir, you may rest assured and stay here. You can both pursue scholarly research and make tools to serve the nation. As for your Family Dependents — if you are uneasy about them coming to Anqing, this official can find a residence for them on the opposite shore of the river. That way, you can cross the river each month to reunite, without delaying the Anqing workshops. When the Rogue Marauders are quelled, then you, sir, may return to Suzhou with your Merit complete."

Bao Yu thought for a long while. Faced with Pang Yu's multi-pronged offensive, this honest Works Section man finally nodded.

At that moment a burst of cheers erupted from the parade ground. Several of them looked toward the ground. The first squad had already donned their armor. The drums beside them beat out a cadence. The squad leader shouted a call, and the squad formed an offensive formation and began advancing. Where there was competition, there was fervor. The fervor on the parade ground was high and quite infectious.

The three men reached the position of the reserve soldiers in the northeast corner. The reserve soldiers there were also being assessed today. Those ranked at the top could be promoted to War Soldiers first. However, due to the recent expansion, there were only just over a hundred reserve soldiers left. Even so, the competition was still fierce, because the difference in pay and status was enormous.

Pang Yu stopped at the edge of the field to watch. The assessment on the field was still underway. The formations at the moment were still simple, all infantry. Although Pang Yu did not understand battle very well, he did know that infantry, cavalry, and artillery had to coordinate with one another. But exactly how to coordinate still had to be slowly figured out.

"Wang Zenglu pays his respects to Your Excellency!"

Pang Yu turned around and saw Wang Zenglu standing ramrod straight before him. Pang Yu had revised part of the military law, adding more detailed regulations for dress, standing and sitting, and walking. Wang Zenglu's bearing was increasingly matching the image of a soldier in Pang Yu's mind.

"Wang Hundred-Commander, at ease. You sought out this official for some matter?"

Wang Zenglu relaxed a moment, then said, "This humble one's Second Division was merged from the original Second Company and Fifth Company. These two companies suffered many casualties at Beixia Pass, and some men were transferred to the personal soldiers and cavalry. Among those remaining, we need to select squad leaders, banner commanders, and centurions. We truly cannot select enough qualified men. Might this subordinate select some men from other companies?"

Pang Yu listened and quickly replied, "The Second Company's losses were indeed rather heavy. Your division has the most new recruits. You may transfer men from other companies, provided they come voluntarily."

Wang Zenglu let out a breath of relief, then added with some worry, "This subordinate is concerned that Banner Captain Yao and Banner Captain Zhuang might bear a grudge."

Pang Yu shook his head. "These are soldiers of the Garrison Battalion, not the men of any one general officer. The battalion will assign whoever it deems suitable for a post. However, this official will also give due consideration to the chief officials' opinions and the soldiers' own wishes, so as not to overly affect combat strength. Therefore, you may select at most two men from each company. Record those who come voluntarily, and submit the list to the Document Receiving Office for this official to decide."

"This subordinate obeys the order."